Legal systems have historically been informed by religion, such that in many jurisdictions suicide and attempted suicide are still illegal. Some jurisdictions even go so far as punishing attempted suicide by death, although this is thankfully more in the spirit of the law than in its observance. In the UK the Suicide Act of 1961 decriminalized attempted suicide and suicide, but voluntary euthanasia is still a crime. This may change as the voice of pro-choicers becomes louder than that of pro-lifers. Broadly speaking, pro-choicers argue that a person’s life belongs to no one but him, and that his decision to commit suicide, especially if justified as a rational solution to real problems (for example, chronic and disabling pain), should be respected
