Yasmina Kattou / Photo credit: Pixabay 15:31 p.m., December 14, 2023

The text on the opening of a right to a chosen death for the incurably ill will be presented to the Council of Ministers in February. On Thursday, the newspaper "Le Figaro" revealed the details of the provisional version, which will no doubt be somewhat revised.

Companion care, patients' rights and assisted dying. Here are the three parts of the provisional text on the opening of a right to a chosen death for the incurably ill. The newspaper Le Figaro presented this Thursday morning the modalities of this first version, while the text is due to be presented to the Council of Ministers in February.

In detail, this assistance will be reserved for adults who suffer from a serious and incurable condition, with a life-threatening prognosis in the short term, i.e. within 6 to 12 months. French people suffering from an illness causing unbearable physical suffering are also concerned.

A Conscience Clause

This draft bill also specifies the act itself, which would consist of the administration of a lethal substance, either by the person or by a caregiver or a relative. However, the conditions for administering the product by a third party, if the patient is unable to do so, are not detailed.

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A doctor or nurse should be present during the procedure to speed up the death process and avoid suffering in the event of an incident during administration. Finally, a conscience clause will be proposed for caregivers who do not wish to be involved in this assisted dying.