PARIS: France’s Parliament has passed a landmark bill allowing terminally ill adult patients to seek medically assisted dying under strict legal conditions.
The legislation, approved by 291 votes to 241, would allow eligible patients suffering from incurable and life-threatening illnesses to request life-ending medication.
Patients capable of administering the medication themselves would be required to do so, while a doctor or nurse could assist if the patient’s condition prevents self-administration.
The bill applies only to French citizens or legal residents diagnosed with terminal illnesses meeting strict eligibility criteria.
The legislation still requires approval from France’s Constitutional Council before it can take effect.
If cleared, France will join countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada in permitting medically assisted dying under regulated conditions.
The vote followed intense parliamentary debate and public demonstrations, with supporters describing assisted dying as a matter of personal dignity and choice, while opponents argued that life should be protected and that advances in treatment and palliative care offer alternatives to ending life.
