Macron signs into law measure aiding assisted dying

France's President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday signed into law a measure legalizing assisted dying, following approval by the country's highest constitutional authority.

After the text of the law was published in the official journal, the president's office welcomed the outcome, saying the ruling "completes an exemplary democratic debate", adding it "provides an essential safeguard for our fellow citizens".

The office said the legislation could now be implemented "in the certainty that it rests on fully established democratic, ethical and constitutional foundations".

After years of debate, the French Parliament finally endorsed the reform last month, allowing eligible adults with untreatable illnesses to seek assisted dying.

The measure is officially termed a law on "end of life" or "aid in dying" rather than "assisted dying" or "euthanasia". The ruling places France alongside the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada, where the practice is already permitted.

While upholding the legislation, the Constitutional Council said several provisions needed clarification, notably the conscience clause that lets healthcare professionals decline to participate.

It further ruled that the clause extends to private facilities where assisted dying is "manifestly contrary" to their mission, so long as they are not the sole providers meeting "local needs" — a key demand of Catholic healthcare institutions.

Eligibility requires patients to be of legal age, and either have French nationality or long-term residency. Patients must experience pain that is unresponsive to treatment or, if they decline or stop treatment, unbearable by the patient's own assessment.

A physician must verify a patient's eligibility, and then a panel assesses whether the criteria are met. Ultimately, the doctor makes the decision alone, while the patient may withdraw consent at any time.

In practice, patients self-administer a lethal substance, except when physically unable, in which case a healthcare worker may assist.

Olivier Falorni, a former lawmaker and the bill's author, called its passage "a major advance that is finally becoming a reality".

Opposition has come from religious groups, segments of the medical community, and organizations worried about effects on vulnerable people. The Constitutional Council received five challenges to the law, including a referral from Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.