Constitutional Court rejects euthanasia referendum

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 16 - Italy's Constitutional Court has rejected a petition to stage a referendum on legalising euthanasia.
    The court said that, if the referendum were approved, "the Constitutionally necessary minimum protection of human life would not be preserved". It referred specifically to the vulnerable.
    Supporters of the referendum had gathered around 750,000 signatures calling for it to be held, far more than the half a million needed to file a request.
    "We will continue with other instruments," said Marco Cappato of the right-to-die Coscioni Association.
    At the moment people risk jail of between five and 12 years in Italy for helping someone to commit suicide.
    In 2019 the Constitutional Court called on parliament to pass legislation dealing with end-of-life issues after ruling assisted suicide could be legitimate in some cases if the person wanting to die was in intolerable suffering.
    The court is set to decide on whether to approve seven other referendums on Wednesday.
    Six regard Italy's justice system while the other concerns the decriminalization of growing cannabis. (ANSA).