Italian Constitutional Court Rejects Assisted Suicide Provision

The Italian Constitutional Court has ruled that article 580 of the Penal Code, which ties access to assisted suicide to the requirement of life‑sustaining treatment, is unconstitutional. The decision follows a case in Bologna where prosecutors sought to dismiss charges against individuals accused of aiding suicide, raising doubts about the discriminative nature of the life‑support requirement.

In the Emilia‑Romagna regional assembly, councilor Nicola Marcello (Fratelli d'Italia) opposed a regional bill on medically assisted suicide, urging focus on universal palliative care first. Marcello cited the Court’s recent ruling published on 31 December 2025, which emphasizes that palliative care must precede any assisted‑death options, and referenced Italy’s Law 38/2010 on pain therapy as still inadequately implemented across the region.