French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday announced a national debate meant to broaden end-of-life options that will include exploring the possibility of legalizing assisted suicide, with the aim of implementing changes next year. The current 2016 law in France provides that doctors can keep terminally ill patients sedated until death comes but stops short of legalizing assisted suicide. Joining the debate is Dr. Aurélien Raccah, Lawyer at the ELEA law firm in Paris and Directeur of the International & European Law School (IELS) at the Catholic University of Lille. « There is a right to life, legally, but the question that is asked today to the French people is whether we should create the right to die. » Dr. Raccah explains that the answer to that question is not so clear cut. There’s the ‘legal’ aspect and also the ‘philosophical’ one.
Interview of Mr. Aurélien RACCAH – France 24 – 15 September 2022