France legalises assisted dying following a citizens’ assembly

Following a Citizens’ ASssembly, the French National Assembly passed a law on 15 July 2026 permitting assisted dying in France. 291 MPs voted in favour, 241 against.

The law offers people with terminal illnesses at an advanced stage and suffering unbearable pain the option of assisted suicide. This also applies if the patient discontinues or refuses treatment. However, the patient must be able to express their wish for assisted dying freely and clearly to a doctor and be aware of the implications. France thus joins the ranks of countries where assisted dying is permitted under certain conditions, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The procedure stipulates that an interdisciplinary panel, including medical professionals, must assess the request for assisted dying, and the doctor must inform the patient of the outcome within two weeks. The patient must then confirm their request for assisted dying after a two-day reflection period.

Conscience clause for medical professionals

In principle, patients are to administer the lethal medication themselves. Assisted suicide on request is to remain the exception and should only take place if the person wishing to die is physically unable to take the medication themselves. Similar to the law on abortion, the legislation contains a conscience clause for medical professionals: no doctor is obliged to perform assisted dying – but those who refuse must refer the person wishing to die to another practitioner.

Anyone wishing to avail themselves of assisted dying must be at least 18 years old. A mental illness alone does not qualify a person for assisted dying. Those affected must be informed of the option of palliative care and, if they so wish, must be able to actually access it.

Against “death tourism”

French citizenship is also a mandatory requirement – the aim is to rule out “death tourism”. A further condition is that there must be no effective painkillers available to alleviate the patient’s suffering.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had already announced, even before the National Assembly’s decision, that he would refer the End-of-Life Bill to the Constitutional Council. This decision had been taken in consultation with President Emmanuel Macron. This would actually serve to strengthen the legitimacy of the bill, in order to bring the democratic process to a conclusion.

The National Assembly’s decision was preceded by the work of the Convention citoyenne pour la fin de vie, a Citizens’ Assembly selected by lottery which, in 2022 and 2023, examined the question of whether the current end-of-life legislation should be reformed. The panel’s recommendations had a significant influence on the subsequent legislative process.

Controversial debate

The Citizens’ Assembly had been announced by President Emmanuel Macron in September 2022. The background to this was a debate, which had been the subject of controversy for years, concerning the limits of the Claeys-Leonetti Act of 2016. This Act permitted, under certain conditions, deep and continuous sedation until death, but ruled out assisted dying and assisted suicide.

The Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Conseil économique, social et environnemental, CESE) was tasked with organising the assembly. From among several hundred thousand people contacted, 184 citizens were selected by lot. The composition was based on age, gender, educational background, occupation, place of residence and regional origin, in order to represent the French population as accurately as possible.

Hearing of experts

Between December 2022 and April 2023, the Citizens’ Assembly met in Paris over nine weekends of sessions. The participants heard from experts in medicine, law, ethics and philosophy, as well as from care workers, patient representatives and representatives of various religious communities. In addition, experts from Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada and Switzerland provided information on their countries’ experiences with different end-of-life regulations.

The focus was on the question of whether the existing legal framework adequately addressed the diverse situations faced by people with terminal illnesses, or whether it needed to be amended.

Recommendation to legalise assisted dying

In its final report, the Citizens’ Assembly first recommended a nationwide expansion of palliative care. At the same time, a majority of 75.6 per cent of members voted in favour of amending French law to include legally regulated assisted dying. In the mini-publics’s view, this assistance should only be permitted under clearly defined medical and legal conditions.

Several members of the Citizens’ Assembly later described the deliberation process as an intensive learning experience. In a joint manifesto, they stated that their recommendations had emerged “from listening, doubt and shared reflection”. At the same time, they emphasised that, for them, improving palliative care was an indispensable prerequisite for any legal relaxation of the rules.

Learning rather than judging

Many assembly members described their participation as a process of rethinking. “I came with many certainties,” said one participant after the deliberations had concluded, “and I am leaving with far more questions.” It was precisely the encounters with palliative care specialists, seriously ill people and their relatives that had shown just how varied end-of-life situations can be.

Another citizen summarised the working process as follows: “We had to learn to separate our personal convictions from the question of which law can apply to everyone.” This shift in perspective had shaped many of the discussions.

The value of listening

Members particularly often described the consultation process itself as an extraordinary experience. One participant explained in an interview that she had learnt “to listen to people whose beliefs are completely at odds with my own”. It was precisely these conversations that ultimately convinced her that such a difficult ethical question could not be resolved with simple yes-or-no answers.

Another participant put it this way: “We did not come here as experts. We left as citizens who had come to understand just how complex the end of life is.”

“Path of Fraternity”

Following the presentation of the report, President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to embark on a “path of fraternity”. The aim, he said, was a “French model” that combines the protection of vulnerable people with the right to self-determination.

An initial draft bill was tabled in 2024, but the parliamentary process was interrupted by the dissolution of the National Assembly. Following the general election, two separate bills were introduced: one to expand palliative care and one to introduce legally regulated assisted dying.

The National Assembly initially passed both bills at first reading. Once the parliamentary process was complete, the law on assisted dying finally came into force.

“A historic moment”

The bill’s rapporteur, Olivier Falorni, spoke of a “historic moment”. The law creates “an additional freedom, without imposing anything on anyone”, the MP explained.

Support for the reform came, amongst others, from the Association pour le droit de mourir dans la dignité (ADMD). The organisation regards the new legislation as an important step towards strengthening the self-determination of the terminally ill.

Criticism of the law

Criticism, however, came from the Société française d'accompagnement et de soins palliatifs (SFAP). Its president, Claire Fourcade, warned that no law could resolve the complex issues surrounding the end of life. Priority must continue to be given to expanding palliative care.

The French Bishops’ Conference also rejected the reform. It warned against a fundamental shift in society’s understanding of the protection of human life and advocated supporting the dying through care and accompaniment, rather than actively bringing about death.

Support by public opinion

Extending end-of-life choice is consistently supported by public opinion in France. According to an Ifop survey published at the end of January 2026, 87 per cent of respondents are in favour of people at the end of their lives being able to choose between palliative care and assisted dying.

According to the National Institute for Demographic Studies (Ined), there are between 2,000 and 4,000 cases of illegal assisted dying every year, while tens of thousands of people use it abroad.

A significant example of deliberative democracy

The debate in Parliament also cut across party lines. MPs from almost all parties voted differently, with many describing their decision as a matter of conscience.

The Citizens’ Assembly on assisted dying is now regarded as one of the most significant examples of deliberative democracy in France. Although its recommendations were not legally binding, they had a significant influence on the political decision-making process. Observers see this as evidence that randomly selected mini-publics can make an important contribution to political decision-making, even on particularly sensitive ethical issues.

Jersey Citizens' Jury supports assisted dying

On the British Channel Island of Jersey, a Citizens' Jury had voted overwhelmingly in spring 2021 to change the law on assisted dying. 78.3 percent of the jury participants voted in favour of allowing assisted dying for adults under certain conditions. However, strict rules should be followed. A majority of 69.6 per cent also believed that assisted dying should be available for people with a terminal illness or unbearable suffering. 22 per cent were of the opinion that this option should be limited to terminally ill people.

On 26 February 2026, the island's parliament passed a law legalising assisted dying. However, before it can come into force, the law still requires the formal approval of King Charles III.

Second national Citizens' Assembly in France

The Citizens' Assembly on assisted dying in France was the second national randomly selected assembly in the country. In June 2020, a 150-member climate assembly, also convened by President Macron, had adopted 149 recommendations. These included far-reaching proposals for the economy, transport, housing, trade and food in a 500-page citizens' report. With the proposed measures, the country's CO2 emissions should be reduced by 40 per cent by 2030.

In 2025, another Citizens’ Assembly had drawn up 20 recommendations on the length of the school day and on further school reforms. 

Note: This article was written with the help of AI