Laifin kai shi ne mutum ya fallasa kansa gaba ɗaya akan wani laifi, ko ta hanyar tonawa kansa da kansa asiri, " akan wata tuhuma ko aikata wani babban a bayyane ko a ɓoye laifi; shigar da kansa ko wani [mutum] a cikin tuhumar aikata laifuka ko haɗarinsa". (Ɗorawa kai laifi na iya faruwa ko dai kai tsaye ko a kaikaice: kai tsaye, ta hanyar tambaya inda aka bayyana bayanan da suka shafi aikata laifin kai; ko kuma a kaikaice, lokacin da wani mutum ya fallasa laifin da wani yayi kuma da son rai ba tare da matsin lamba daga wani mutum ba). A yawancin tsarin shari'a, masu laifi ba za a iya tilasta wa waɗanda ake tuhuma da ɗorawa kansu laifi ba - za su iya zaɓar yin magana da 'yan sanda ko wasu hukumomi, amma ba za a iya hukunta su don sun ƙi yin hakan ba.Akwai ƙasashe 108 da ire-iren waɗannan hukunce-hukuncen da a halin yanzu suke yin gargaɗi ga masu shari'a ga wadanda ake tuhuma, wadanda suka haɗa da 'yancin yin shiru da kuma 'yancin samun lauya da a kaucewa zaluntar ire-iren su.