Attempt to suicide not a crime, says new law

NEW DELHI: The new Mental Healthcare Bill that decriminalises attempt to suicide and bans use of electric shock therapy for treating children with mental illness was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.

With the Lok Sabha’s assent to the legislation, the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016 secured parliamentary approval as it was earlier passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016. An important factor in the Bill is that it separates attempt to suicide from the Indian Penal Code. In effect, IPC provisions cannot be invoked in case of an attempt to suicide. Since the person undertakes the step in extreme mental stress – meaning it is triggered by mental illness — the Bill does not criminalise it.

Also, the Bill gives an opportunity to a person to provide advance directions on the kind of treatment they would want in case diagnosed with a mental illness in future.

Union health minister J P Nadda said, “This Bill is patientcentric and after wide consultations, we have ensured that the patient’s interest is safeguarded,” said Nadda.