In this summary, the authors discuss the ambiguity & inadequacy of French laws relative to suicide; for example, the nebulous quality of the law concerning assistance in suicide; the ambivalent, & sometimes intransigent, attitude of the law with regard to the responsibility of doctors & institutions; the legal problems that arise when a patient refuses medical care or a doctor fails to commit a patient, & conclude that clear legislation is urgently needed in the field of suicide behavior. (GW)