LISBON, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese parliament on Friday approved the legalization of "medically assisted death."
A draft law that received the support of a large majority of deputies establishes that euthanasia can be requested "by decision of the person himself," provided they are over 18 years old, and their will is "current, repeated, serious, free and clear."
According to the text, the patient can ask for euthanasia from health professionals if he is in "a situation of great intensity of suffering, with a definitive injury of extreme severity or a serious and incurable disease."
Suffering of great intensity is defined by law as "intolerable by the person himself," whether of "physical, psychological and spiritual" origin, resulting from a "persistent, continuous or permanent" disease.
The text also establishes a minimum period of two months from the beginning of the procedure to its implementation, with mandatory provision of psychological support.
The decree is now being finalized and must still be examined by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who can either approve it, veto it or ask the Constitutional Court for preventive inspection of the text.
The Portuguese head of state, who previously vetoed the draft law on Nov. 26, has now said that he will make a rapid decision once he receives the document.
