The patient will administer a lethal substance themselves, with exceptions for those who are physically unable to do so
France’s highest constitutional authority on Friday upheld in its entirety the legislation granting adults suffering from an incurable condition the right to assisted dying while ruling that some provisions required clarification.
The legislation passed by the French parliament in mid-July after years of public debate, including a Citizens’ Convention and then legislative debates. The ruling is a victory for President Emmanuel Macron, who promised such a law when he was re-elected for a second term in 2022.
The President himself welcomed the decision, which he said “concludes an exemplary democratic debate,” on Friday.
To be eligible for assisted dying, a patient must be of legal age, a French national, or a long-term resident. They must suffer from pain that is either unresponsive to treatment or, in the patient’s view, unbearable if they have chosen not to receive or to stop receiving treatment.
