Assisted dying in Italy

Parliament passed a law on informed consent and advance treatment directives (DAT), including the right to refuse or stop life-sustaining treatment.

Following Marco Cappato’s self-reporting for helping Fabiano Antoniani (DJ Fabo) die in Switzerland, the Court ruled that Article 580 of the Criminal Code (instigating or aiding suicide) is unconstitutional where it punishes helping mentally competent patients who are dependent on life support and have an irreversible condition.

The ALC collected over 1.2 million signatures for a referendum to partially repeal Article 579 and so legalise medical assisted dying. In February 2022 the Constitutional Court controversially blocked the referendum, deeming it inadmissible (Ruling 50/2022). This led the movement to turn to regional legislative action (“Liberi Subito”).

Federico Carboni (“Mario”), tetraplegic for 12 years, became the first person in Italy to die by legal medically assisted suicide, after almost two years of waiting for authorisation.

The Court issued a vital clarification. Previously, “life-sustaining treatment” was often read strictly as machinery (ventilators). Ruling 135/2024 extended it to vital nursing assistance (e.g. manual bowel evacuation, suctioning, catheterisation) where stopping it would lead to death. This opened access to many patients previously excluded.

Tuscany’s regional council passed the “Liberi Subito” law by 27 votes to 13, requiring health authorities to complete each step of the procedure within set time limits.

The Constitutional Court upheld the life-support requirement (Ruling 66/2025) and, in the case of “Libera”, a paralysed woman unable to take the drug herself, said the health service must provide a device for self-administration where one exists (Ruling 132/2025). The ALC deposited a popular initiative bill with over 74,000 signatures in the Senate to legalise all end-of-life choices, including euthanasia.

Sardinia became the second region to pass a “Liberi Subito” law.

The Constitutional Court upheld Tuscany’s right to legislate on the procedure, but struck down some provisions, including time limits it found too tight to consider alternatives properly.

The Senate sent the governing majority’s end-of-life bill back to committee. It has not been taken up since.

Emilia-Romagna passed a regional law. The Constitutional Court struck down parts of the Sardinian law, including its time limits (Ruling 148/2026), and again upheld the life-support requirement (Ruling 152/2026).

Veneto became the fourth region with a law, and the first led by the centre-right.

The regional council in Perugia approved the bill with 11 votes in favour, six against and three abstentions

As of November 2026 there is no national law. Access rests on the Constitutional Court’s rulings, with procedures set by law in five regions, and “Liberi Subito” proposals pending in others.