French parliament adopts assisted dying law, with constitutional review ahead

France's parliament has adopted legislation creating a right to assisted dying for some adults with incurable conditions, moving the country closer to legalising the practice if the Constitutional Council approves the law.

President Emmanuel Macron had promised such a measure after his 2022 re-election. He wrote on X that he had made a commitment in 2022 to open the path with the French people and that the commitment had been honoured.

The law covers some adults suffering from an incurable condition. They must be able to express themselves in a free and informed way and must be experiencing physical pain. The pain must be unresponsive to treatment or, in the patient's view, unbearable where the patient has chosen not to receive treatment or to stop it.

A physician is responsible for checking whether the patient is eligible. A panel then assesses the criteria, but the doctor makes the final decision. The patient may withdraw consent at any time. The patient would administer the lethal substance, with exceptions for people who are physically unable to do so and may be helped by a health worker.

If the Constitutional Council approves the legislation, France would join countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada in allowing assisted dying.

The National Assembly had approved the measure, but the Senate rejected it. The government allowed the lower house to have the final say without the Senate's assent, which is permitted under the constitution.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu asked the Constitutional Council to examine the new law. His office said the council was called in after the lack of debate in the right-leaning Senate meant the text fell short of a draft that met both the aims of supporters and the concerns of those worried about implementation. The council's rulings are binding and it can, in extreme cases, reject an entire law or raise reservations about parts of it.

Jonathan Denis, of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, said more battles remained but called the vote a historic moment. Lawmakers applauded Olivier Falorni, the bill's author and a former lawmaker who is now a mayor. Falorni told the lower house that many patients had died before they could access the right and said his thoughts were with them and their families.

Brigitte Liso, a lawmaker from Macron's Renaissance party, said she was proud to have taken part in passing the law. Justine Gruet, a Republican lawmaker, said the day would be remembered as the day parliament decided that a human life could be legally ended.

Senior figures from the Republicans party, which dominates the Senate, have opposed the legislation. Outside parliament, Emmanuel Delhoume, an Orthodox Christian cleric protesting the bill, said he opposed abortion, same-sex marriage and euthanasia, describing them as a linked chain of events.