Right to commit suicide in India: A comparative analysis with suggestion for the policymakers

Abstract

Every year an alarming number of people of all ages and genders are committing suicide or attempting to extinguish their own life globally and India is not an exception. Under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 attempt to commit suicide is still considered an offense. In many countries of Africa, suicide is considered legal and in Asia, most of the countries have decriminalized attempted suicide except a few countries like India. The scenario is also changing in the USA and UK. This paper provides a structural literature review on the existing legal framework in different jurisdictions regarding the right to commit suicide from a comparative perspective. The paper scrutinized the compared data and intends to conclude that the state should not curtail the liberty of people attempting suicide by imprisoning or punishing them as the right to life also includes the right to a dignified death. Several recommendations for the policymakers have been made in the last part of the paper.