French parliament approves assisted dying

The lower house of the French parliament, the National Assembly, has given its final approval to a bill that will create a legal right to assisted death for adults with incurable diseases, potentially bringing an end to years of debate over the issue.

The law was passed in the Assembly last year, only to be rejected by the upper house, the Senate, but under a constitutional clause, the government allowed the Assembly to have the final say without the need for Senate approval. This time the bill was passed by a margin of 291 votes to 241.

However, that does not mean that this is the end of the journey described by the legislation's author, Olivier Falorni, as being like "a marathon with hurdles".

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will ask France's highest constitutional authority, the Constitutional Council, to take a closer look at the details of the legislation, as he expressed concern over the lack of a proper debate in the Assembly, saying that this meant the draft proposals fell short of "meeting both the aspirations of its proponents and the concerns of those worried about its implementation".

The legislation says that the patient must be in a "free and informed" manner to make the decision, and any fatal dose would have to be self-administered, or if the patient was not able to do so, helped by a health worker.

Unsurprisingly, the issue provokes strong feelings. Backers of the legislation say it would allow patients to put an end to suffering while maintaining control over their medical decisions, but opponents say seriously ill people could be put under pressure, and that palliative care options should be given priority.

Psychological suffering alone would not be enough for someone to qualify for a medically assisted death, meaning people with mental illnesses or conditions such as Alzheimer's disease would not be eligible.

Health review

Patients seeking an assisted death would need to submit a request to be reviewed by healthcare professionals within 15 days, and there would then be a two-day reflection period after any approval was given.

Former health minister and trained pharmacist Agnes Firmin-Le Bodo, who drafted the 2024 version of the bill, said the law would be passed "because it is balanced", but Christophe Bentz of the far-right National Rally party called the text "very dangerous", with the risk of "abuses".

President Emmanuel Macron, who made a campaign promise in 2022 to allow a debate on the issue, said "with seriousness, humility, and in full respect of our democracy, that commitment has been honored".

Should the legislation be given final approval, France would join Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium in legalizing assisted dying. Similar legislation will be discussed in the United Kingdom in the new parliamentary session in the fall.

julian@mail.chinadailyuk.com