France passes assisted‑dying law letting patients self‑administer lethal drug

The French National Assembly approved the "aide à mourir" law on 15 July 2026 after a lengthy legislative process. The measure permits adult patients with incurable, severe illnesses that cause unbearable suffering to take a lethal substance themselves; medical staff may intervene only when the patient is physically unable to do so. The law requires a two‑day reflection period, a written request reviewed by at least two physicians, and confirms that the patient must be a French citizen or legal resident with full decision‑making capacity. Healthcare professionals may refuse participation on conscience grounds.

The new framework builds on earlier French statutes: the Leonetti law of 2005, which prohibited futile treatment, and the Claeys‑Leonetti law of 2016, which allowed deep continuous sedation at the end of life. In 2023, President Emmanuel Macron convened a citizen convention that recommended reform, leading to the current legislation that distinguishes France’s approach from the Dutch and Belgian models where doctors directly administer the drug.