France promulgates law creating right to assisted dying

French President Emmanuel Macron has promulgated a law establishing a right to assisted dying for certain patients following years of public and parliamentary debate, local media reported Wednesday.

The legislation was published in the Official Journal after the Constitutional Council approved it last week, subject to several reservations, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.

Under the law, eligible patients will be permitted to self-administer a lethal substance in the presence of a healthcare professional. A medical professional may administer the substance only if the patient is physically unable to do so.

Several conditions must be met simultaneously. The patient must be an adult, hold French citizenship or long-term resident status, and suffer from a “serious and incurable” illness at an advanced or terminal stage.

The patient must also be experiencing unbearable physical suffering and remain capable of making and expressing an informed decision until the final moment.

The legislation was definitively adopted by parliament in mid-July. Healthcare professionals, however, will not be able to apply the law until the government publishes the necessary implementing decrees.

France joins a relatively small group of countries that permit some form of assisted dying, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada and Uruguay.

The Constitutional Council ruled Friday that none of the law’s provisions violated the Constitution.

Macron welcomed the ruling, saying it completed “an exemplary democratic debate.”

Former Democratic Movement lawmaker Olivier Falorni, who authored the bill, described its passage as “a major advance that is finally becoming a reality.”

The legislation has also faced strong opposition from religious groups, some healthcare professionals and organizations concerned about its potential impact on vulnerable people.

Five separate referrals challenging the law were submitted to the Constitutional Council, including one by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.