Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice
Change the law to stop public nuisance charges for suicide attempts
Closed
30 signatures
What the petition asks
We are calling on the government to amend the law which allows police to charge people who attempt suicide with public nuisance. We believe anyone who attempts suicide should not be facing a public nuisance charge but should instead be offered the appropriate mental health interventions and support.
The legal definition of a public nuisance offense includes reference to someone committing an act “not warranted by law”. Suicide has been decriminalised in this country since 1961 so these charges are both not warranted and potentially harmful to the individuals who desperately need support.
Timeline
| 21 Sep 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 21 Mar 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
30
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
21 Sep 2020
Closed
21 Mar 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.