After being approved by the Constitutional Council, France will join the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada, which have already legalized this practice.
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The law, adopted by the French parliament in July after years of debate, establishes the right to assistance in dying for certain terminally ill adults.
The decision is a victory for President Emmanuel Macron – he promised to pass such a law when he was re-elected for a second term in 2022.
To be eligible for such assistance, the patient must be an adult, a French citizen or long-term resident. They must suffer from pain that cannot be alleviated by medical means or that, in the patient’s own assessment, is unbearable if they have decided not to undergo treatment or to stop treatment.
The doctor must verify that the patient meets the requirements before a commission assesses whether the situation meets the criteria.
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The final decision is made by the doctor alone, and the patient can withdraw consent at any time.
The patient would administer the lethal substance themselves, except in cases where they physically could not do so and a healthcare worker could assist them.
Although the Council approved the law, it decided that some provisions need clarification, including the so-called conscience clause, which allows healthcare professionals to refuse to participate in such a procedure.
This clause must also apply to private healthcare institutions where assistance in dying “clearly contradicts” their mission, provided they are not the only institutions able to meet “local needs,” the Council stated.
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