French assembly advances bill to legalize assisted death

The French National Assembly on Tuesday in a 305-199 vote advanced a bill legalizing medically assisted suicide for qualifying patients with terminal illnesses. In a separate decision, the assembly unanimously voted to advance a bill guaranteeing palliative care, which focuses on improving quality of life and easing the suffering of patients with terminal conditions. Both bills are expected to advance to Parliament’s higher house, the Senate.

What would the assisted death bill accomplish? The bill defines assisted dying as administering a lethal substance to a qualifying patient over the age of 18 with an incurable, life-threatening condition that is causing them intolerable and untreatable physical suffering.

Patients suffering from psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative disorders would not qualify. He or she must also have the capacity to make decisions without external pressure. Patients must also have a short- or medium-term death prognosis, which can extend from a few hours to months.

When a patient requests assisted death, the bill states that he or she would be examined by a doctor and be offered palliative care options. Multiple health care professionals and specialists must give their opinions in the case, and the doctor examining the patient must decide whether to authorize the request. If approved, the patient would be required to undergo a reflection period of at least two days before making the final choice. The patient and doctor must then determine the method of death and who will administer it.

What do the legislation’s supporters say? Proponents of the assisted death bill said it helps to improve a patient's quality of life by allowing him or her to opt into what supporters describe as a dignified death. According to the explanatory memorandum, the bill aims to relieve long-term suffering. If the bill is signed into law, France would join the nine other European countries that permit assisted dying, according to the Campaign for Dignity in Dying.

What about critics? The Family Union, a French organization opposed to the assisted death bill, issued a statement on Tuesday characterizing both euthanasia and assisted suicide as forms of unprecedented violence. The group went on to say that if the bill becomes law, it will represent a tragic downturn for society as a whole, but particularly for the elderly and disabled.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report on Delaware becoming the 11th state to legalize assisted suicide.