Criminal Liability of Third Parties with Regard to Free-Responsible Suicide: New Developments in the German Jurisdiction

Abstract

The German Federal Court of Justice’s 7.3.2019 judgement on questions of criminal liability of third parties with regard to free-responsible suicide offers a good opportunity to change the restrictive Wittig jurisdiction from 1984 and point in a liberal direction. The tremendous importance of self-determination indicates the impunity of third parties involved in a free-responsible suicide in which the final killing act is controlled by the person who is tired of life. This result gets confirmed by new legislation in the German Civil Code and earlier judgements in cases of euthanasia.