Samobójstwo na gruncie prawa polskiego i międzynarodowego
Suicide on the basis of Polish and international law

Summary/Abstract: The statistics confirm that suicides (about one million a year) and suicide attempts (several million a year) are not only a serious social but also a legal problem. From a formal point of view, everyone has the right to take their own life, it will be their personal decision and no legal act or any authority can prevent them from doing so. Therefore, from the point of view of the right to freedom, which is one of the fundamental human rights, every person has full freedom to decide when to end their own life. This right is not in conflict with the right to life, because the right to life does not imply an obligation to continue living. Does a person have the right to commit suicide? This publication is an attempt to answer this question and is divided into four separate parts. The first part of the article presents the issue of suicide epidemiology in Poland and in the world in a synthetic way. In the following parts of the article, the author analyzes the concept of suicide, suicide attempt, attempt and attempt on one’s own life under the law. He discusses the phenomenon in a legal context, focusing on the social factors that most encourage people to take their own lives. The second presents views that function in Polish and international law and may argue for the existence of the right to suicide. It also takes into account those reasons and arguments that may lead to the opposite conclusions. The last part of the study concerns the legal consequences of a failed suicide attempt. Issues related to suicide have not been given much attention in Polish and international legislation. Terms such as suicide, attempted suicide and suicide bombing do not even have their own legal definitions. Therefore, this study addresses the issue of suicide in the light of legislation.

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