Felo de se

Meaning:

The legal maxim “Felo de se” denotes “a felon as to himself” which means a person who commits suicide.

Details:

Felon to himself denotes a person who commits suicide. Under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, it is an offense to abet to commit suicide in India. Also, Under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, it is an offense to attempt suicide. In a leading case of P. Rathinam v. Union of India, the Apex Court held that the Right to life includes the Right to die also and section 309 of IPC is unconstitutional. But the Constitutional Bench of the Apex Court reversed the law in the leading case of Gyan Kaur v. State of Punjab and held that the Right to life does not include the Right to Die.