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Canada Standard
3 days ago
- Health
- Canada Standard
France approves right-to-die law
Critics warn that vulnerable people may feel pressured to end their lives France's lower house of parliament has approved a controversial bill to legalize assisted dying for adults with terminal illnesses, amid deep divisions in a country with strong Catholic traditions. The National Assembly voted 305 to 199 in favor of the measure, which is backed by President Emmanuel Macron. The bill now moves to the Senate and will return to the lower house for a second reading. Supporters hope it will become law by 2027. France currently allows what is called passive euthanasia - such as withdrawing life support - and deep sedation before death. Under the bill, patients could request lethal medication, which they would take themselves, or if physically unable, have administered by a doctor or nurse. They must be over 18, hold French citizenship or residency, and be suffering from an irreversible, advanced, or terminal illness causing constant, untreatable pain. People with severe psychiatric conditions or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's would not qualify. A medical team would assess each case. After a period of reflection, the patient could receive the drug at home, in a care home, or medical facility. The government described the bill as "an ethical response to the need to support the sick and the suffering," calling it "neither a new right nor a freedom... but a balance between respect and personal autonomy." Macron hailed the vote as "an important step" toward a more humane approach to end-of-life care. A separate bill establishing a right to palliative care passed unopposed. France's proposal would be more restrictive than laws in countries such as Belgium or the Netherlands, where euthanasia - in which doctors give a lethal injection at the patient's request - has been legal since 2002 and extended to minors. Similar laws exist in Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Canada, Australia, and Colombia. Medically assisted suicide, where patients take prescribed lethal medication themselves, is legal in Switzerland and several US states. Right-to-die campaigners have welcomed the law, though describing it as relatively modest in scope. "We've been waiting for this for decades," said Stephane Gemmani of the ADMD association. Critics warn the definitions are too broad, potentially allowing assisted dying for patients who could live for years. Some fear the bill could undermine medical ethics, erode care standards, and expose vulnerable people to subtle pressure to die. READ MORE: More Canadians choosing medically assisted death "It would be like a loaded pistol left on my bedside table," a 44-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease told a protest outside parliament, according to the BBC. This month, France's religious leaders issued a joint statement denouncing the "dangers" of an "anthropological rupture." Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau wrote on X this week that it is "not a bill of fraternity but a bill of abandonment." (
Epoch Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Epoch Times
French Lawmakers Back Assisted Suicide Law
France's lower house of parliament approved a bill on Tuesday to legalize assisted suicide, paving the way for medical professionals to help adults with incurable illnesses end their lives by taking a lethal substance. The bill, passed on May 27 by a vote of 305–199, would grant the right to assisted suicide to any French citizen over 18 suffering from a serious or incurable condition that is life-threatening, advanced, or terminal. According to the legislation, a team of medical professionals must confirm that the patient has a grave and incurable illness 'at an advanced or terminal stage' and is suffering. Anyone found to have obstructed someone's right to assisted suicide could face a two-year prison sentence and a 30,000 euro ($32,500) fine. The final passage of the long-debated bill is now heading to the Senate. Socialist Party lawmaker Olivier Falorni The Association for the Right to Die With Dignity (ADMD) also celebrated the move. Related Stories 5/14/2025 5/16/2025 'This is a time of joy for those of us who see hope in a dignified end of life, spared from unbearable suffering and needless agony,' ADMD said in a The official French government website Vie-Publique said that under the After administering the lethal substance, the doctor or nurse does not need to remain at the bedside but must stay nearby and within sight to intervene if necessary, it states. The full cost of assisted dying will be covered by France's national health insurance. Health professionals can refuse to take part in assisted suicide under a 'conscientious objection clause' but must refer the patient to another practitioner, it says. Eddy Casterman, a lawmaker with the Identity-Liberties party, voted against the bill. He said it was 'a dangerous slope.' In a May 27 post on Speaking at the Grande Loge de France on May 5, a prominent French Freemasonry Masonic lodge founded in 1894, Macron referred to assisted suicide as a 'lesser evil.' He also thanked the Freemasons for working extensively on the 'end-of-life debate.' Catholic French bishops denounced his remarks. 'No, Mr. President, the choice to kill and to help kill is not the lesser evil,' Archbishop Moulins-Beaufort said in a statement posted to 'It is simply death. This must be said without lying and without hiding behind words. Killing cannot be the choice of brotherhood or dignity. It is the choice of abandonment and refusal to help until the end. This transgression will weigh heavily on the most vulnerable and lonely members of our society.' Other religious leaders have voiced opposition to the legislation. This month, the Conference of Religious Leaders in France, which represents the Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities, said in a joint statement that the proposed French patients seeking to end their lives have often traveled abroad, particularly to Belgium and the Netherlands, where euthanasia has been legal since 2002. Spain authorized euthanasia in 2021, followed by Portugal in 2023. In the UK, lawmakers are Reuters contributed to this report.
DW
5 days ago
- Health
- DW
France's National Assembly backs 'assisted dying' bill – DW – 05/27/2025
Lawmakers in the French lower house backed the right-to-die bill with 305 votes for and 199 against. French President Emmanuel Macron called it "an important step." France's contentious right-to-die bill has been approved by the National Assembly in its first reading, putting it on a path that could see patients being granted the right to die with medical assistance. Lawmakers voted in favor of the bill by a vote of 305 to 199, marking a key legislative step. The bill will now head to the Senate for further debate. Macron welcomes 'important step' "The vote by the National Assembly on the texts on the development of palliative care and assisted dying is an important step," said French President Emmanuel Macron on social media platform X. "With respect for sensitivities, doubts and hopes, the path of fraternity that I wished for is gradually opening up. With dignity and humanity," Macron said. Another palliative care bill seeking to bolster measures to relieve pain and preserve patient dignity was also adopted unanimously on Tuesday. Who could get medical assistance in dying? The legislation has strict conditions. For patients to receive medical assistance to die, they must be over 18 and either be French citizens or reside in France. Medical professionals would need to confirm the grave and incurable nature of patients' illnesses "at an advanced or terminal stage." The patients would need to be suffering from intolerable and untreatable pain and be seeking lethal medication of their own free will. Patients with severe psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease would not be eligible for the measures. If approved, a doctor would deliver a prescription for the lethal medication, which could be taken at home or at a nursing home or health care facility. UK's assisted dying bill: Emotional debate splits Parliament To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A source of contention The Association for the Right to Die with Dignity (ADMD) called the National Assembly vote "historic" and said that France had "the opportunity to join democracies concerned about individual freedoms, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and Australia." "It is a time of joy for those of us who see the hope of a controlled end of life, spared unappeasable suffering and unnecessary agony," the ADMD said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Conference of Religious Leaders in France (CRCF) — which represents the Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist communities — earlier this month jointly denounced the bill and warned of the "dangers" of an "anthropological rupture." Edited by: Sean Sinico
