Nellie Monneret
An official draft bill was sent to the Ministerial Council on 10th April before debuting on a long journey through Parliament for further debate.
Medically Assisted Death in France
France could follow in the steps of Belgium and the Netherlands regarding assisted death in the coming months.
A draft bill for “aid in dying” will be introduced in Parliament in May after a first reading by the Ministerial Council last month. The term ‘suicide’ has been replaced by the government with ‘dying’ to prevent a normalisation of suicide.
“With this text, we look death in the face,” said Emmanuel Macron to La Croix and Libération on 10th March.
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The idea behind the bill is to help patients suffering “psychologically” and “physically” from incurable diseases to decide when they want to die. The bill offers patients the possibility to administer a “lethal substance” themselves if their physical conditions allow it.
It doesn’t mention ‘euthanasia’, which consists of assisted dying delivered by medical professionals. However, this might be an option in instances where patients meet the criteria for assisted dying but aren’t physically able to administer it themselves.
However, the conditions are strict. Patients must be adults and French citizens (or long-term residents) who can make a conscious decision. This excludes those with Alzheimer’s or other brain disorders. The option will be offered to people who suffer from “resistant and unbearable” pain due to a pathology threatening their lives “in the short or medium term.”
A Thorough Process
To prove their condition, patients must submit to a multi-step process involving their GP and other medical professionals. This checkup will also ensure that their decision is independent of external pressure or influence.
According to the terms of the bill, patients will have to request “assisted dying” from their doctor, who will be obligated to offer palliative care first. If patients refuse, their doctor must refer them to a pathology specialist who has never treated them before.
The GP will then have 15 days to decide, with the option of consulting other specialists to make a sensible decision.
If the doctor denies their request, patients can appeal. If it’s approved, they will have two days to confirm their choice and three months to complete it. They will be assisted by a caregiver who will collect the lethal substance from a pharmacy and prepare it for them.
Much like pro-life and pro-choice arguments concerning abortion, the debate over assisted dying in France is still widely disputed by religious opponents who condemn it as an act of suicide.
For Macron, the first French president to seek to pass a bill on assisted dying to Parliament following years of debate and delays, the government aims to help patients in the best possible way.
“(…) From diagnosis to death, it attests that society supports the sick and frail, recognising the full and absolute part of life that exists right up to the last second.” Macron told La Croix and Libération.
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Featured image courtesy of Jacques Paquier via Wikimedia Commons. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.
