Milan — On Tuesday, Tuscany made history by passing a law that regulates medically assisted suicide, marking it as the first region in Italy to endorse such legislation in a predominantly Roman Catholic country. This development follows a 2019 ruling by the constitutional court that effectively legalized assisted suicide under specific conditions.
Under this new law, requests for ending one’s life will be examined by a medical and ethics commission within a tight timeframe of 30 days. If the request is granted, the regional health services are required to provide the necessary medication and the assistance of a doctor within a span of 10 days. Importantly, all medical staff reserve the right to decline participation in the procedure.
The law saw a favorable outcome, passing with 27 votes in favor and 13 against in this central Italian region, which is led by a center-left administration. Regional governor Eugenio Giani commented ahead of the vote, stating, “The law does nothing more than provide objective procedures and clarity. I feel that we are giving a national message.”
The Italian Constitutional Court’s decision in 2019 determined that assisted suicide is permissible for individuals suffering from an irreversible condition that causes intolerable physical or psychological pain, provided they can make a voluntary and informed choice.
Despite this significant court ruling, national legislation regarding the right to die has not been established by the Italian parliament. The new law in Tuscany could potentially face legal challenges at the constitutional level, particularly if Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government, which generally opposes euthanasia, decides that the regional lawmakers have exceeded their legal authority.
