French National Assembly has approved, through a vote of 291 to 241, a bill allowing the practice of assisted dying under very strict conditions after many years of heated political debate. This bill permits French adults who are suffering from “serious and incurable,” life-threatening illness to end their lives when they are experiencing continuous and unbearable physical or psychological suffering. According to this new bill, those people must make the request to a doctor, get a decision on it within 15 days, have a two-day reflection period, and administer the substance themselves (or get the assistance of the medical professionals in case of physical inability).

Even though the bill has been approved by the National Assembly, it was three times rejected by the majority-right-wing dominated Senate. In order to protect the law from being ruled unconstitutional, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will submit parts of it to the Constitutional Council due to the concerns about the short two-day reflection period, the consent of incapacitated patients, and the involvement of the palliative care facility in administering the procedure.