Suicide is tragic.
Unfortunately, it is not a rare occurrence in penitentiaries. Each year, a number of inmates commit suicide and acts of self-mutilation. Common law frequently imposes liability for an omission where the defendant has a duty to act or, as the case may be, to speak. The question depends on whether the defendant has assumed a responsibility toward the plaintiff and whether the plaintiff has relied on that assumption of responsibility. The liability imposed upon the Crown under this Act is vicarious.