Attempted suicide no longer crime as parliament amends Criminal Offences Act

The Parliament of Ghana has passed the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021 thus decriminalizing attempted suicide under Section 57 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960(Act 29).

The amendment was informed by a Private Members Bill sponsored by the Chairman of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, Hon Kwame Anyimadu, and his ranking member, Bernard Ahiafor.

Clause 1 of the amendment reads as follows;

A person commits a first-degree felony if the person knowing that another person has suicidal thoughts intentionally does an act that is aimed at aiding, assisting, facilitating or encouraging the person to commit or attempt suicide whether or not the suicide or attempted suicide is actually committed.

While Clause to reads;

The Mental Health Act, 2012(Act 846) is amended in Section 95 by the addition of a news subsection 3 as follows; A person who attempts suicide shall be considered to have severe mental disorder and the provisions of the Mental Health Act 2012(Act 846) shall apply

The above was adopted and duly passed after the 3rd reading by the House on March 28, 2022, presided by the Second Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Andrew Asiamah Amoako.

Prior to this amendment, attempted suicide was punishable under Section 57 of Act 29 as a misdemeanor.