France’s Constitutional Council on Friday upheld legislation legalising assisted dying in specific circumstances while striking down a separate law that would have barred children under 15 from social media, delivering both a victory and a setback for President Emmanuel Macron.
The rulings preserve one of Macron’s major social reforms while forcing his government to rewrite a flagship measure aimed at restricting minors’ access to platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
The council approved the assisted-dying law in its entirety while clarifying provisions including the conscience clause, which allows healthcare professionals to refuse participation.
Private healthcare facilities may also decline involvement where the procedure is manifestly contrary to their mission, provided other establishments can meet local needs.
Eligibility is restricted to adults who are French citizens or qualifying residents and who suffer from an incurable, life-threatening illness in an advanced or terminal phase.
Patients must experience constant physical or psychological suffering that is untreatable or considered unbearable and must give free and informed consent.
The legislation was passed by parliament in July following years of debate.
The ruling also addressed protected patients, requiring that the opinion of the person responsible for their welfare be considered.
In most cases, patients will administer the lethal substance themselves, with healthcare workers able to assist those physically unable to do so.
The Constitutional Council separately rejected the under-15 social media ban, finding that its restrictions infringed freedom of expression and communication and lacked sufficient safeguards around age verification and privacy.
The measure would have required users, including adults, to prove their age before accessing covered services.
Macron’s office said he remained committed to the policy and tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with preparing a new “legally robust draft” as quickly as possible, taking account of the ruling and the European regulatory framework.
The council did not rule on a separate provision banning mobile phone use in high schools.
The rejected social media measure had been promoted by the government as a way to protect young people from harms linked to online platforms.