(LifeSiteNews) — The Supreme Court of Slovenia has rejected an attempt to overturn the November 2025 assisted suicide referendum. Slovenia’s leftist government had legalized assisted suicide on July 18, and the State Council overrode a veto on July 24. A broad coalition, supported by religious leaders, organized to trigger a national referendum, gathering the required 40,000 signatures. On November 23, 53 percent of the voters who participated voted against assisted suicide, repealing the law.

Euthanasia supporters were furious and applied to have the referendum results annulled, alleging that because religious groups such as the Catholic Church and doctors’ organizations had campaigned against assisted suicide during the referendum, the campaign had been unfair. One Slovenian activist told me that Catholic churches had done heroic work raising awareness about the referendum, and many doctors – in addition to speaking out on TV and other media outlets – had hung notices on their doors stating that they would not participate in assisted suicide.

Euthanasia campaigners claimed that “misleading information” was spread – a truly ironic claim – but the Supreme Court rejected their allegation, noting that it is not the role of the court to determine the accuracy of statements during a campaign and that claims made during the referendum are not subject to judicial review. Even if “misleading information” had been spread, the Court said, this would not constitute grounds to overturn a public referendum vote. For good measure, the Court stated that the applicants had not proven that “perceived irregularities” impacted the results.

The victory in Slovenia – now affirmed and upheld by the Supreme Court – was a rare example of direct democracy foiling the plans of euthanasia activists.

“We formed our own language and broad civil society support,” Slovenian campaign organizer and head of Voice for Children and Families Aleš Primc told me shortly after the referendum vote. “Additionally, it was important that all umbrella medical organizations, all major religious communities, and the entire opposition were against the poisoning of patients. It was especially important that a large public debate developed on social networks.”

“The poisoning of patients was promoted by all the largest media outlets, covering more than 85% of the media space; the Government; all government parties; the extremely influential Milan Kučan, the last president of the Communist Party of Slovenia and former president of Slovenia; state-funded left-wing government satellites that declare themselves civil society,” he explained. “The poisoning lobby banned the sponsorship of our posts on social networks, while they could sponsor their posts without limit. Nevertheless, we defeated them on social networks, as well.”

“The Supreme Court’s confirmation of the referendum’s victory brings great joy and relief to patients, people with disabilities, and pensioners,” Primc told SPUC. “With this court decision, following the referendum victory, Slovenians are finally protected from the harm, abuse, and pressure that this dangerous, horrific, and unjust law would have imposed. Today is a day of great joy. Thanks be to God.”