Abstract

The article describes in brief law 219/2017, which aims at regulating the patient’s consent to medical treatment, the use of deep sedation and the living will. After having described the genesis of the law and its content, the article draws a distinction between what the law regulates, namely the patient’s right to refuse treatment, and what it excludes, namely the possibility of requesting euthanasia. The 2019 sentence of the Italian Constitutional Court that introduced a limited form of medically assisted suicide is then discussed. The article finally offers some critical reflections on assisted suicide and euthanasia, also from an international perspective.