Slovenia has passed a law on euthanasia

The Slovenian parliament has approved a law allowing terminally ill patients to use medical services to die by their own choice. This reports The Slovenia Times.

The law was passed with 50 votes "for", while 34 deputies voted "against" and three abstained.

The law stipulates the conditions under which a patient can obtain permission for voluntary death with the assistance of doctors.

The person must be an adult and have an incurable disease that causes unbearable pain or psychological suffering.

The permit is granted by a special commission, which appoints an independent doctor to assess the applicant's condition and a psychiatrist to assess their ability to make decisions.

Patients must ingest or inject the legal substance themselves, and healthcare workers will have the option to refuse to participate in assisted dying.

The law will come into effect two weeks after its publication in the Official Gazette, but it will take another six months before it can be applied in practice. The transition period is necessary to regulate all procedures.

The law was passed following a consultative referendum last year, in which 55% of Slovenians voted in favor of such a law.

• Among the countries that allow assistance in dying are Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Belgium, as well as some US states.
• In June, the British Parliament pvoted in favor of legalizing assisted dying, although the bill still needs to be approved by the upper house of parliament.