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Italy Challenges Sardinia’s Assisted-Suicide Law at Constitutional Court

The government says end-of-life rules are the State’s exclusive domain under Article 117 of the Constitution.

Overview

  • The Council of Ministers on November 20 moved to impugn Sardinia’s Regional Law No. 26 of September 18, 2025, before the Constitutional Court.
  • Rome argues the statute exceeds regional powers by encroaching on state competences in civil and criminal law, essential service levels, and health protection under Article 117.
  • Sardinia’s law implements the 2019 Constitutional Court ruling by setting access procedures and guaranteeing free public-health assistance, with cases vetted by a multidisciplinary commission and the local ethics committee.
  • The contested law remains in force while the Court deliberates, and a previous government challenge to Tuscany’s similar law is still awaiting a decision.
  • A national end-of-life bill is stalled in the Senate, and the new legal challenge could further slow progress toward a uniform framework as regional and opposition leaders criticize the government’s move.