<p>LISBON, Portugal — Portugal’s president on Thursday asked the country’s Constitutional Court to evaluate a recent law passed by parliament that allows euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill and gravely injured people.</p>
<p>Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said in a statement the legislation appears “excessively imprecise,” potentially creating a situation of “legal uncertainty.”</p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Rebelo de Sousa said the bill also raises a series of questions about the constitutionality of “such a complex and controversial issue.”</p>
<p>Portugal’s Constitution says that human life is “sacrosanct,” though abortion has been legal in the country since 2007.</p>
<p>Parliament can override a presidential veto by voting a second time for approval.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Several other European Union nations allow euthanasia and assisted suicide</p>
