Right to Die: Bill

Right to Die: Bill

Reportage. The Parliament decided definitively in the night on the end of life by refusing to legalize euthanasia, but by introducing a right 'to let die' which allows to stop treatment or to refuse the therapeutic determination when a patient is condemned. A commentary on illustration images alternates with interviews with Marie HUMBERT, mother of Vincent HUMBERT, Jean LEONETTI, author of the bill, and Marcel HOSS, association for the right to die with dignity. [Source: France 3 documentation] The Parliament decided definitively in the night on the end of life by refusing to legalize euthanasia, but by introducing a right 'to let die' which allows to stop treatment or to refuse the therapeutic determination when a patient is condemned. Terminally ill patients may decide to stop their treatment. Adults will be able to write an end-of-life will in case they are unable one day to express their will but this progress is considered "very limited" for associations. Marie Humbert (mother of Vincent who died in September 2003) attended the debate on the proposed law on the end of life, but according to her, the adopted text does not solve anything. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SONORE MARIE HUMBERT: "At the moment, if my son were still, I would still have no solution for him. The Leonetti law that passes is only for people at the end of life". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SONORE JEAN LEONETTI: "Many patients are afraid of dying badly. Death became medical today. Most people die in the hospital and they are afraid that they will be artificially prolonged. This law provides a good framework for treating people to save them but not going beyond unreasonable obstinacy, when there is nothing more to do, when we are only in the artificial or survival". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SONORE MARCEL HOSS: "What is regrettable is that this document does not have legal force because it can only be considered if the doctor agrees"

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File : End of life

Publication date : 13 April 2005