France Set to Legalize Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults After 2-Year Fight
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15
France Set to Legalize Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults After 2-Year Fight
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15
Summary
French lawmakers were set to vote Wednesday on legalizing medically assisted dying, with the National Assembly expected to pass the bill despite opposition from the conservative-controlled Senate.
The measure would let doctors help adults die only if they have an incurable, life-threatening illness in an advanced or terminal stage, suffer unbearable or treatment-resistant pain, and can freely express their wishes.
A doctor and specialist panel would have 15 days to review each request, followed by a 2-day reflection period before the patient self-administers the lethal substance.
If a patient can no longer physically do so, a doctor or nurse could administer it, marking one of France's biggest social policy shifts in decades and placing it among a small group of countries allowing a form of euthanasia.
Current French law lets terminally ill patients refuse treatment and allows families to end life support for coma patients, but bars doctors from actively helping a patient die; Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has said he would send the law to the Constitutional Council if passed.
France's new law offers death with dignity, but why are some terminally ill patients explicitly excluded from this choice?
As France legalizes assisted dying, will its constitutional court force major changes to the controversial new bill?
France’s Landmark Assisted Dying Law: July 2026 Approval, Constitutional Council Review, and National Impact
Overview
On July 15, 2026, France's assisted dying bill received final approval from the National Assembly, even after being rejected by the Senate. Exercising its constitutional authority, the Assembly's decision led to the immediate referral of the bill to the Constitutional Council for a mandatory review. The Council now has up to one month to determine if the bill aligns with the French Constitution. If the Council finds the bill constitutional, it will be allowed to enter into force; otherwise, revisions may be required or the law could be blocked. This process marks a crucial step in France's legislative journey on assisted dying.