Repealing law on attempted suicide won’t serve twin aims of justice and compassion

I refer to the article “Aware says suicide laws ‘worsen distress’; calls for change” (Sept 9). The Association of Women for Action and Research’s (Aware) advocacy for the repeal of Section 309 of the Penal Code, which makes attempted suicide an offence, is misconceived.

Section 309 of the Penal Code makes attempted suicide punishable with a maximum jail term of a year, a fine, or both.

The question of whether the sentence befits a crime, or whether an act should constitute a crime, is a moral dilemma.

While we should consider whether the punishment is likely to deter others or rehabilitate the person, neither question deals with the rights and duties of an individual.

When we remove responsibility from a person’s actions, the individual ceases to be a moral agent, and only a patient.

A person in distress who has attempted suicide is still a moral agent. The impact of a person’s suicide on their loved ones and the general community is grievous.

The community needs to rally around those who have attempted suicide with care and support, but it does not mean that suicide is a right.

Neither does it mean that those in distress should not be held accountable for their actions.

The law is not only about how effectively it rehabilitates the offender or lowers the crime rate, but also about notions of justice.

The question of whether Section 309 should be removed boils down to conscience and acknowledgment that there are consequences to our every decision.

Aware’s call for compassion is timely because compassion requires us to have the fortitude to walk with those who are going through the darkest of nights.

But we cannot afford to let compassion abrogate justice because it will do more harm to our dignity than the ill-effects of a tough law.

The twin aims of justice and compassion will not be served by the repeal of Section 309.

Rather, a multi-faceted solution should be sought in the area of social and community services.