What will be the use of the Citizens’ Convention on the end of life, which opens this Friday?


Yasmina Kattou, edited by Juliette Moreau Alvarez

This Friday begins the citizens’ convention on the end of life. An assembly of more than 170 French people who will debate until March on the need, or not, to adapt French law on the questions of euthanasia and assisted suicide, currently prohibited in France. The group’s conclusions are expected in the spring.

Should the law on the end of life be changed in France? A difficult question on which the Citizens’ Convention on the end of life, which opens this Friday, will have to work. More than 170 French people were drawn to debate in this assembly, the model of which was modeled on that of the Citizen’s Climate Convention, completed in 2020.

Conclusions expected in the spring

The goal for these dozens of French people is to provide answers to the following question: is the end-of-life support framework adapted to the different situations encountered or should any changes be introduced? Currently, the Claeys-Leonetti law authorizes access to palliative care but prohibits euthanasia and assisted suicide. What has been authorized since 2016 is deep sedation for people whose suffering cannot be alleviated and whose vital prognosis is committed in the short term.

Regular three-day sessions will be staggered through March. The French people drawn will study the laws of other countries, including some like Belgium or Switzerland, which have legalized euthanasia. The group will have to submit its conclusions to the government in the spring, without any guarantee on their implementation. These recommendations could serve only as lines of thought for the executive.



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