Doc. 9404 8 April 2002 Protection of the human rights and dignity of the terminally ill and the dying Recommendation 1418 (1999) Reply from the Committee of Ministers adopted at the 790th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (26 March 2002)
Switzerland's laws that prohibit killing continue to apply in full. Direct, active euthanasia (deliberate killing in order to end the suffering of another person) is therefore also forbidden. By contrast, both indirect, active euthanasia (the use of means having side-effects that may shorten life) and passive euthanasia (rejecting or discontinuing life-prolonging measures) – while not governed by any specific statutory provisions – are not treated as criminal offences provided certain conditions are fulfilled. No legislative action is needed with regard to these three forms of euthanasia. Legal restrictions and a ban on organised assisted suicide are nonetheless open to debate. They are intended to protect human life better, and to prevent organised assisted suicide becoming a profit-driven business.
A government-commissioned report released on Tuesday has recommended that France allow doctors to “accelerate death” for terminally-ill patients who want to end their lives. French people overwhelmingly support medically-assisted suicide, with an October poll showing 89% in favour. Examining the case for medically-assisted suicide was a campaign pledge made by French President François Hollande ahead of his election in May 2012. Hollande pledged to act on the recommendations of the government-commissioned report, which will be referred to a national council on medical ethics that will examine the precise circumstances under which doctors can assist in ending a patient’s life. Draft legislation could be produced in France as early as June 2013.