Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said in a statement the legislation appears “excessively imprecise,” potentially creating a situation of “legal uncertainty.”
Lawmakers three weeks ago approved by a significant majority the
final wording of the bill, following almost a year of discussions to detail
administrative procedures and other aspects of the procedures. The bill then
went to the head of state, who had to decide whether to approve the law, veto it
or send it to the Constitutional Court for review.
Rebelo de Sousa said the bill
also raises a series of questions about the constitutionality of “such a complex
and controversial issue.”
Parliament can override a presidential veto by voting a second time for
approval.
Euthanasia is when a doctor directly administers fatal drugs to a patient, while medically-assisted suicide is when patients administer the lethal drug themselves, under medical supervision. Several other European Union nations allow euthanasia and assisted suicide