Legal Aspects of Suicide (IN: Suicide Theory and Clinical Aspects, ed. by L D Hankoff and B Einsidler)

In this chapter, the author reviews the legal aspects of suicide using examples form both criminal & civil law. He concludes that if those who try to deal with suicidal patients were allowed to do so without legal assessment, they might do a better job. Even more serious is the pervasive attributing of blame to some one other than the deceased. Those who are forced to deal with suicide should be aware of its interaction with the legal system. (CM)