France’s Constitutional Council upholds the right to assisted dying

Herz — World Desk · 14 August 2026 at 14:00 · 30s summary · 1 min read

What we know

France’s Constitutional Council, an institution established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on October 4, 1958, upheld the law creating a right to assisted dying on August 14, 2026. According to Le Monde, the ruling protects a patient’s “personal freedom” to request the administration of a lethal substance after receiving a doctor’s approval.

The Constitutional Council exempted private and nonprofit facilities, including Catholic institutions, from having to allow the procedure on their premises. They therefore receive a conscience clause, meaning a recognized right for certain parties to refuse an act involving significant ethical issues.

The law was upheld subject to three reservations from the Constitutional Council. Their precise content was not detailed in the available information.

Wider context

On the afternoon of August 14, 2026, the Constitutional Council issued four major rulings concerning assisted dying, social media, pesticides and free parties. The provisions relating to social media and agriculture were partially struck down.