AMMAN —
An amendment to the
Penal Code, which criminalizes attempted suicides in
public, aims at cementing the concept of the right to life, which is protected
under international conventions, Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh said.
اضافة اعلان
Addressing a
Senate meeting Tuesday, which deliberated draft amendments to the Penal and
Enforcement laws, Khasawneh stressed that the “pluralistic” Jordanian
Constitution declares Islam the official religion of the state, which, along
with all heavenly religions, prohibits doing harm to life as in suicide, and
even considers it a big sin, according to Jo240.
Attempted suicide is a punishable offense in many
Arab, Islamic and foreign legal and judicial systems, including in Italy, the
UAE and
Oman, Khasawneh pointed out.
A judge must refer any individual suspected of being
mentally unstable to a medical authority for psychological assessment. If found
ill, the court shall consider the mental state as an exculpating or mitigating
excuse, the premier added.
He explained that
attempted suicide in public, as stipulated in the draft amendment to the Penal
Code, is being treated as a full-fledged crime to harmonize the concepts of
preserving public peace and safety. It also aims at protecting order in public
facilities and the rights of people in general.
Khasawneh said the
majority of suicide attempts are ‘’usually not serious’’. They aim to draw
attention to a person’s problems.
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