Parliament has passed into law the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The law will decriminalise suicide.
Aside decriminalising suicide, the law will also help decongest the prisons and reduce the case loads on prosecutors.
It was passed on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, after it was taken through the consideration stage and a third reading.
The motion to read the Bill for the third time to enable it be passed into a law was moved by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akatsi South and Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, and seconded by the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi.
Already, the Committee, on March 23, during the second reading of the law, which was then a Bill, made strong arguments for its passage.
Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi argued at the time that the law would bring a crucial legislative measure towards the reformation of Ghana’s justice system.
He noted that proponents of the law were of the view that suicide was a mental health issue, therefore, it must not be treated as a criminal act.
The Legislator said some research findings that were made available to the Committee during its work showed that a survey conducted by the World Health Organisation in 2021 pointed to the fact that 7 persons per 100,000 people died out of suicide in the year 2019.
He noted further that suicide acts in universities in Ghana were also on the ascendency, and indicated that 6.3% of university students attempted suicide, 24.3 wished they were dead, whilst 6.8% had plans to commit suicide. He mentioned one prevalent factor that contributed to this, as psychological distress.
At the Junior High School level, the research found out that 27.6% of adolescents also attempted suicide.
The overreaching factors that contribute to these behaviours were loss of economic control, sexual weakness, marriage, family issues, poverty, financial difficulties and mental health issues.
The report also noted that interactions with some female victims, who were put before court for attempting suicide, revealed that they could not bear the heartbreaks that came with terminating relationships with their boyfriends and decided to end their lives. The males on the other hand were influenced by financial difficulties.
The Committee Chair said based on the above factors, they came to the conclusion that suicide was more of a mental health issue than criminal, hence, must not be criminalised.
“The Committee has examined the provisions of the Bill, and is of the view that the best remedy to dealing with attempted suicide is to provide avenues in schools, workshops, workplaces and community centers for the stressed persons with emotional problems to seek therapy and treatment…
“The Committee accordingly recommends to the House to adopt its report and pass the Criminal Offences Bill into law, in accordance with Article 107 of the 1992 constitution,” the Chairman said.
Commenting on the law, the Deputy Minority Leader and MP for Ellembele, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, said he supported the Bill, because he could not comprehend how people who were already going through stress and attempted suicide would end up in jail.
He indicated that many health professionals had noted that an overwhelming number of people who attempted suicide were going through stress due to a number of challenges.
He said this requires that they are given some sort of help in the form of medical treatment and counseling and not jail.
He said when the Bill was passed it would enable people to report those who attempted suicide so that they could be offered the necessary help.
Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah said people were reluctant to report, because of the fear of being jailed, therefore, called on the other members to support the passage of the Bill into law.
