For generations, suicide was treated not only as a tragedy but as a crime under Virginia common law.

While Virginia no longer had statutes criminalizing suicide, the common-law offense remained quietly on the books for decades. That changed this year with the passage of HB43, patroned by Marcus Simon and championed by citizen advocate Sharon Webster, who spent more than 12 years advocating for the repeal of Virginia’s common-law crime of suicide.

In addition to Webster, other citizen advocates and suicide loss survivors who have testified over the years have included Shirley Ramsay, Beth Tolley, Rob Krupicka, Steve Mittendorff, and Andrea Walker.

The bill passed with bipartisan support, and similar legislation cleared both the House and Senate in 2024 before being vetoed by former Governor Glenn Youngkin.

With Governor Abigail Spanberger signing the bill into law, Virginia finally removed one of the most archaic and stigmatizing remnants of its legal code.

The roots of this law stretch back to 14th-century England

At that time, suicide was considered both a sin and a criminal act. The punishments were brutal. In some cases, the body of the person who died by suicide could be dragged to a crossroads and impaled through the heart. Property and belongings could be confiscated by the Crown, leaving surviving families not only devastated but financially ruined.

England abolished suicide as a crime in 1961, and most Commonwealth nations followed. More recently, countries including Pakistan, Ghana, Guyana, and Malaysia decriminalized suicide in 2023, recognizing that mental health crises require compassion and treatment—not punishment.

Virginia, however, remained behind.

For more than a decade, advocates, survivors, and mental health organizations repeatedly urged lawmakers to repeal the outdated common-law offense. HB43 itself had failed multiple times before finally passing this year. An identical bill introduced by Del. Marcus Simon during the 2024 legislative session passed the General Assembly but was vetoed by the former governor.

For families affected by suicide loss, this change matters

Many survivors were shocked to learn their loved one was still technically classified under an antiquated common-law crime. As Webster, whose daughter Lauren died by suicide in 2012, shared during testimony supporting HB43, the continued existence of the law reinforced stigma at the worst possible moment in a family’s life.

And stigma matters

Historically, the phrase “committed suicide” emerged because suicide was considered a crime, similar to committing theft or murder. Today, many suicide prevention organizations encourage the phrase “died by suicide” or “suicided” instead because it removes the implication of criminality and moral failure.

Modern science tells us something very different about suicide than lawmakers in the 1300s understood.

Today, suicide is recognized as a public health and mental health issue

It’s recognized as a public health crisis by organizations including the World Health Organization, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the United States Department of Defense. Suicide is often linked to overwhelming psychological pain, hopelessness, trauma, substance use disorders, mental illness, or a dysregulated stress response system.

In layman’s terms, some clinicians compare suicidal crises to a “brain attack”—a state where the brain’s ability to problem-solve and regulate emotion becomes dangerously impaired.

One persistent myth surrounding decriminalization is the fear that removing criminal penalties somehow encourages suicide. Research does not support that claim.

Public health experts and international mental health organizations have repeatedly found that decriminalizing suicide can reduce stigma and encourage people to seek help earlier rather than avoid treatment out of shame or fear.

Importantly, the repeal of this law has nothing to do with physician-assisted dying legislation. Advocates made clear throughout the debate that these are entirely separate issues.

HB43 simply removed the classification of suicide as a common-law crime in Virginia.

This change will not erase grief. It will not undo loss.

Laws shape culture.

Language shapes culture.

And culture shapes whether people feel safe asking for help.

When someone is struggling with thoughts of suicide, shame is often already overwhelming. When families lose someone to suicide, they carry profound grief without needing outdated laws to compound it with implied blame or judgment.

Decriminalizing suicide is more than symbolic. It is a recognition that people experiencing suicidal despair deserve support, treatment, and compassion—not criminalization.

For survivors of suicide loss and those working in prevention, Virginia’s repeal of this antiquated law represents something long overdue: progress rooted in dignity, science, and humanity.

Relevant Posts

• Suicide is still a common-law crime in Virginia-2.19.2020
• Sadly, 2018 Virginia Legislature voted to keep the law that states suicide is a crime

AnneMoss Rogers

AnneMoss Rogers is a leading wellness and suicide education expert and one of the top mental health speakers and suicide prevention speakers. Known for her powerful, motivational keynotes, AnneMoss combines her personal story of loss with proven strategies to help organizations build a wellness culture that drives results and saves lives.  She speaks at conferences, workplaces, K-12 schools, and universities, delivering impactful presentations that inspire change and promote mental health awareness.
AnneMoss does this work in memory of her son, Charles, who struggled with anxiety, depression, and addiction, and died by suicide at age 20 in 2015.