An Australian right-to-die group is getting a second chance to host a suicide workshop at Vancouver’s library.
The Vancouver Public Library board has asked staff to re-examine a decision to bar Exit International from presenting a workshop on how to kill oneself.
The library had OK’d both a public meeting and a workshop. It scrapped the latter after it found out that the workshop would be educating people on how to commit suicide.
City Librarian Paul Whitney said he received legal and police advice that the workshop could be interpreted as encouraging people to kill themselves, which is against the law.
On Wednesday, the board advised Whitney to seek further legal advice and report back in two weeks.
David Eby, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties, said he was encouraged that the board was revisiting the ban.
“The material that is going to be presented is legal and available on library shelves,” Eby said.
“Citizens should be able to discuss the contents of books among themselves on library property.”
Exit International had planned to host their talk on Nov. 3.
