Suicide Act

The Laws of Zambia
Copyright Ministry of Legal Affairs, Government of the Republic of Zambia
REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
THE SUICIDE ACT
CHAPTER 89 OF THE LAWS OF ZAMBIA
CHAPTER 89 THE SUICIDE ACT
THE SUICIDE ACT
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Short title
2. Interpretation
3. Suicide not to be an offence
4. Warrant to issue for person attempting suicide
5. Apprehension without warrant of person attempting suicide
6. Inquiry into state of mind of person apprehended
7. Suicide pacts
8. Criminal liability for complicity in another's suicide
9. Power to prescribe
CHAPTER 89
SUICIDE 1 of 1967
An Act to amend the law relating to suicide, and for purposes connected therewith
and consequential thereon.
[27th January, 1967]

89
SUICIDE 1 of 1967
An Act to amend the law relating to suicide, and for purposes connected therewith
and consequential thereon.
[27th January, 1967]

The Laws of Zambia
Copyright Ministry of Legal Affairs, Government of the Republic of Zambia
1. This Act may be cited as the Suicide Act. Short title
2. In this Act- Interpretation
"officer" means an Administrative Officer, a police officer or any person or class of
persons prescribed. 3. The rule of law whereby it is an offence against the common law for a person to
kill himself is hereby abrogated. Suicide not to be an
offence
4. (1) Where a magistrate empowered to preside over a subordinate court of the
first class or the second class is satisfied upon information on oath that a person has
attempted to kill himself and is apparently mentally disordered or defective, he shall issue
a warrant directing an officer to apprehend the person and bring him before the magistrate
issuing the warrant. Warrant to be issued
for person attempting
suicide
(2) Any person may swear an information for the purposes of this section. 5. (1) An officer, if he has reason to believe that a person has attempted to kill
himself and is apparently mentally disordered or defective, may, without warrant,
apprehend and convey the person to a hospital, prison or other suitable place for
detention.

y mentally disordered or defective, may, without warrant,
apprehend and convey the person to a hospital, prison or other suitable place for
detention.

Apprehension without
warrant of person
attempting suicide
(2) The officer apprehending a person and the person in charge of the hospital,
prison or other place where a person is detained under subsection (1) shall forthwith notify
a magistrate empowered to preside over a subordinate court of the first class or the
second class of the admission of the person. 6. The magistrate before whom a person apprehended under section four is
brought, or who is notified as in section five is provided, shall forthwith institute an inquiry
into the state of mind of the person apprehended or admitted into the hospital, prison or
other place under and in accordance with the provisions of the Mental Disorders Act and
that Act shall apply in the case of such a person as it applies in the case of a patient under
that Act. Inquiry into state of
mind of person
apprehended
Cap. 305
7. (1) It shall be manslaughter, and shall not be murder, for a person acting in
pursuance of a suicide pact between him and another to kill the other or be a party to the
other being killed by a third person. Suicide pacts

ting in
pursuance of a suicide pact between him and another to kill the other or be a party to the
other being killed by a third person. Suicide pacts

The Laws of Zambia
Copyright Ministry of Legal Affairs, Government of the Republic of Zambia
(2) Where it is shown that a person charged with the murder of another killed the
other, or was a party to his being killed, the onus shall be on the defence to prove that the
person charged was acting in pursuance of a suicide pact between him and the other. (3) For the purposes of this section, "suicide pact" means a common agreement
between two or more persons having for its object the death of all of them, whether or not
each is to take his own life, but nothing done by a person who enters into a suicide pact
shall be treated as done by him in pursuance of the pact, unless it is done while he has
the settled intention of dying in pursuance of the pact. 8. (1) Any person who- Criminal liability for
complicity in another's
suicide
(a) procures another to kill himself; or
(b) counsels another to kill himself and thereby induces him to do so; or
(c) aids another in killing himself;
shall be guilty of a felony and be liable to imprisonment for life.

himself and thereby induces him to do so; or
(c) aids another in killing himself;
shall be guilty of a felony and be liable to imprisonment for life.

(2) When a person is charged with murder or manslaughter and the court is of the
opinion that he is not guilty of murder or manslaughter, but that he is guilty of an offence
under subsection (1), he may be convicted of that offence although he is not charged with
it. (3) A person shall not be prosecuted for an offence under this section, except with
the written consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions. 9. The Attorney-General may, by statutory instrument, prescribe the persons or
class of persons who shall be officers for the purposes of this Act. Power to prescribe