The Portuguese parliament today once again adopted a law in favor of the decriminalization of euthanasia, which was redrafted after its recall by the Constitutional Court and will now be subject to the assessment of conservative president Marcelo Rebelo de Souza. The bill that has so far encountered the reservations of the president and the Constitutional Court, approved by parliament for the fourth time in three years, thanks to the votes of the socialist majority.
The bill will be submitted to the head of state, devout Catholic and former law professor. Souza will be able to either publish it or put it back for review by the Constitutional Court in order for it to verify its compliance with the country’s Constitution, or exercise its veto, as he had already done in the past.
The new version of the law introduces an innovation to answer the questions raised by the Constitutional Court. THE euthanasia is allowed only in cases where “medically assisted suicide is impossible due to the physical incapacity of the patient”states the bill adopted today.
The Constitutional Court, to which the head of state appealed, rejected a previous draft law for the second time in January, pointing out the “unacceptable inaccuracy” in its drafting and sending it back to Parliament.
The judges had specifically ruled that the bill did not clearly define the “diseases of great intensity” that could pave the way for a “medically assisted death”.
The legislator “tested like never before… this is the law that has been tested more times than I can remember”said Socialist MP Isabel Moreira, one of the loudest voices in favor of the decriminalization of euthanasia, during the debate before MPs.
The association of Catholic doctors expressed for its part, the “strong opposition” of this law considering that “medically assisted euthanasia and suicide… are not medical acts”, according to a press release.
After Belgium and the Netherlands, some five European countries, such as neighboring Spain, have legalized euthanasia to date.
Source: News Beast
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