The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has stated that he intends to promote the new post-mortem insemination law, and leave open his decision on euthanasia.
In a statement, he said: –
“I intend, on my return to Lisbon, to enact, for example, the law on medically assisted procreation. That is, ‘post mortem’ insemination.”
On the 22nd of October, parliament approved a new decree on post-mortem insemination, which provides for the use of medically assisted procreation (PMA) techniques, through insemination with semen after the donor’s death.
However, earlier on in the year, the head of state vetoed the parliamentary decree, which originated in a Citizens’ Legislative Initiative, which gathered more than 20,000 signatures, saying that it raised doubts in terms of inheritance law; he also questioned its retroactive application.
As for the decree on euthanasia, which was approved today in parliament, the President of the Republic limited himself to enumerating the options available to him.
“I have doubts about it constitutionality, I will seek advice from the Constitutional Court. I have political doubts, I will exercise the right of veto. When I have no legal or political doubts, I will enact it.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
