how does this work

[peanut]

if you were to try to kill somebody you would go to jail for attempted murder right? well why is it that if you were to try to kill yourself , that is not considered attempted murder even though you are trying to kill a human being. this is just a thought im not trying to imply anything by asking. its just something that popped into my head.

[dodgyshirt]

Because it`s legally classed as suicide not murder. If I smashed my neighbours car to pieces with a hammer I would be committing a criminal offence. If I did the same to my own I would not. If that is an example of the type of thought that enters your head, have you considered a lobotomy.

[Sylday]

In fact, suicide - or, in practice, attempted suicide - was a criminal offence in the UK until 30 or 40 years ago. I think it may still be a crime in some US states.

[bernardo]

In the UK suicide was legalised in 1961.

[londondave]

If you survived an attempted suicide you will probably be admitted to the local nut house for a couple of weeks assesment like a friend of ours had happen to them.

[Ewood27]

Why aren't you prosecuted for a successful suicide then?

[ianess]

I think that last comment was meant as a joke? At one time successful suicides were not allowed to be interred on hallowed ground, as a form of punishment.

[bernardo]

People don't get prosecuted for successful suicides because (1) Suicide is legal (as I said above) and (2) They don't normally prosecute dead people because it is considered an inefficient use of public money.

[Hippy]

But Bernado, "they" do waste the public pennies chasing and prosecuting people for victimless and sometimes fictitious "crimes" by the use of contradictory, spurious and downright untrue evidence presented by eager and self serving police.

I never understand, given the number of convicted wife beating, paedophile, murdering, stealing and otherwise corrupt police people of all ranks, that the good people of GB still believe and trust the constabulary. I wouldn't p*ss on one if he were on fire.