After President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal vetoed the previous two attempts to approve the legislation, the Portuguese parliament voted in favour of decriminalising euthanasia for a third time.
More than 20 years ago, Belgium and the Netherlands legalised ‘medically-assisted dying,’ and in recent years, a number of other European nations have done the same. Portugal hasn’t yet joined the list, nevertheless, as a result of the conservative stance taken by senior officials.
Euthanasia was made legal by a vote of the Socialist party, which controls all of parliament. But the legislation won’t become law unless the president signs it.
On Thursday, the president declared that he will make a choice ‘definitely before Christmas.’
Reuters reported the bill advocates ‘the right to life cannot be turned into an obligation to live under any circumstances.’ However, it has been opposed by various groups recently with Catholic Doctors’ Association saying that it ‘brings Portugal closer to more permissive legislation.’
According to the latest bill, euthanasia will be reserved for adults with ‘serious and incurable illness’ and patients who have made a ‘reiterated’ and ‘free and informed’ personal decision.
The measure was brought to the constitutional court in 2021 after it was approved by parliament a second time. Even though the court ruled it could be approved with a few modifications, the president of the nation nonetheless chose not to sign it, claiming religious considerations.
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