Court Gives Green Light to Assisted Suicide in France

On Friday, the French Constitutional Council fully endorsed a new law establishing the right to assisted suicide for adult patients suffering from an incurable illness, according to Le Monde.

The court’s decision came after the lower house of parliament approved the legislation on 15 July, and Senate President Gérard Larcher, together with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, requested a review of its constitutionality. France will thus join countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.

The legislation allows patients to request a lethal substance under strict conditions. The patient administers it themselves or, if physically unable to do so, may request that a doctor or nurse administer it. This option will be available exclusively to adult French citizens or residents who are in the advanced or terminal stages of a serious illness, are experiencing constant suffering and are capable of making a free decision.

The passage of this legislation was one of President Emmanuel Macron’s key campaign promises from 2022. In its opinion, the Constitutional Council also noted that certain specific provisions of the law will still require further clarification and elaboration in practice.

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