France has moved closer to recognising assisted dying rights after the lower house of parliament advanced a controversial bill backed by President Emmanuel Macron. The proposed law would allow adults with incurable conditions and unbearable physical suffering to seek assistance under strict medical safeguards.

France moved a step closer on Wednesday to recognising the right to assisted dying, with the lower house of parliament expected to approve a controversial bill backed by President Emmanuel Macron. The legislation, however, will still face review by the Constitutional Council after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu requested the country's highest constitutional authority to examine it once passed.

Olivier Falorni, the bill's author and a former lawmaker-turned-mayor, described the process as "a marathon with hurdles". He said the vote marks "the culmination of a struggle" after "14 years of parliamentary battles on this issue".

Although the National Assembly approved the bill, it was rejected by the Senate, AFP reports. Under the French Constitution, the government allowed the lower house to have the final say without the Senate's approval. Lecornu's office said the Constitutional Council's review was necessary because the lack of debate in the Senate meant the text fell short of a draft "meeting both the aspirations of its proponents and the concerns of those worried about its implementation".

Who Would Be Eligible Under the Law