Abstract

In the ’70s in Italy the word «euthanasia» was unspeakable. In the ’90s the situation started to change because the idea of informed consent as a basic right began to gain consensus, and the issue of euthanasia became «debatable». In the second half of the first decade of the new century the debate on euthanasia involved the public and the Welby and Englaro cases helped Italian people to reflect on end-of-life issues. In 2017 the Lenzi bill n. 219/17 ruled the doctrine of informed consent and self-determination. Going beyond such a doctrine, the Constitutional Court at the end of 2019 allowed medically assisted suicide at some conditions: for this reason Italy is the first big State admitting assisted suicide.