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Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against the person - Murder, manslaughter, etc

179: Aiding and abetting suicide

You could also call this:

"Helping someone to commit suicide is against the law and can lead to prison time."

Illustration for Crimes Act 1961

If you help someone commit suicide, you can go to prison for up to 14 years. This can happen if you encourage them to do it and they try to commit suicide because of what you said. You can also go to prison if you help someone commit suicide in any way. If you encourage someone to commit suicide, you can commit an offence, even if they do not try to commit suicide. You can go to prison for up to 3 years if you commit this offence. This law is affected by section 37 of the End of Life Choice Act 2019.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM329347.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal lawHealth and wellbeing > Mental health
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"A mother who kills her young child while mentally unwell due to childbirth can be charged with infanticide instead of murder."

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180: Suicide pact, or

"When people agree to die together, it's not called murder if someone survives."

Part 8Crimes against the person
Murder, manslaughter, etc

179Aiding and abetting suicide

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who—

  2. incites, counsels, or procures any person to commit suicide, if that person commits or attempts to commit suicide in consequence thereof; or
    1. aids or abets any person in the commission of suicide.

      1. A person commits an offence who incites, counsels, or procures another person to commit suicide, even if that other person does not commit or attempt to commit suicide in consequence of that conduct.

      2. A person who commits an offence against subsection (2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years.

      3. This section is subject to section 37 of the End of Life Choice Act 2019.

      Compare
      • 1908 No 32 s 192
      Notes
      • Section 179(2): inserted, on , by section 30 of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 (2015 No 63).
      • Section 179(3): inserted, on , by section 30 of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 (2015 No 63).
      • Section 179(4): inserted, on , by section 41 of the End of Life Choice Act 2019 (2019 No 67).