Physician-assisted suicide in Europe: Comparative legal perspectives and the emerging role of Italian regional legislation

Constitutional Court rulings have partially decriminalized assistance to suicide under specific conditions, while repeatedly urging parliamentary intervention. In the absence of national legislation, regional laws-particularly in Tuscany and Sardinia-have sought to regulate procedural access to PAS within the limits of regional competence. Judgment No. 204/2025 clarified the constitutional boundaries of such intervention, confirming the legitimacy of regional regulation limited to healthcare organization, while excluding encroachment into criminal law.