The National Assembly adopts the right to assisted dying

Paris – 15/07/2026: The French National Assembly adopted, in the final vote, the bill establishing a right to assisted dying. A reform that had been controversial for years thus received parliamentary approval after the Senate had previously rejected the text. However, the new regulation is not yet legally in force: it must first be promulgated and published in the Official Journal.

Jonathan Denis, president of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, described the day as historic after the vote. His organization sees this decision as an answer for seriously ill people whose suffering can no longer be sufficiently relieved by available treatments. However, the political and bioethical debate on the scope, safeguards, and consequences of the reform remains open.

The text establishes, under precisely defined conditions, access to assisted dying. The procedure is intended for adults capable of expressing their wishes freely and in an informed manner, who have a serious and incurable illness and are at an advanced or terminal stage. They must also experience suffering they consider unbearable or that cannot be alleviated.

The decision must not rest solely with the attending physician. The procedure provides for a medical assessment involving other professionals. The applicant is granted a reflection period and may withdraw their decision until the last moment. Parliament has also strengthened protection against pressure exerted by relatives or third parties: forcing a person to request assisted dying must be punishable.

France is thus going beyond the current framework of the Leonetti and Claeys-Leonetti laws. These notably authorize the refusal of disproportionate treatment as well as, under certain conditions, deep and continuous sedation until death. By contrast, medically organized assistance intended to cause death had until now not been regulated as an independent right.

The legislative process highlighted social and party divisions. The Senate blocked the bill on 7 July 2026 by means of a procedural motion. The National Assembly prevailed in a new reading and had already approved the text on 30 June by 295 votes to 232. Today’s final decision follows this institutional standoff.

At the same time, France adopted a law in May 2026 aimed at improving equitable access to support and palliative care. Supporters of the current reform see the two bills as complementary. Critics, on the other hand, demand that expanding the availability of palliative care be given priority. The concrete implementation of the new regulation will therefore depend largely on the actual availability of care, medical training, and monitoring procedures throughout the country.