World
Victoria court upholds prison Vegemite ban for inmate
BBC News·
A Victorian Supreme Court judge on Monday rejected murderer Andre McKechnie's bid to overturn a prison ban on Vegemite. The ban has been in place since 2006. McKechnie, 54, argued it denied his right to enjoy Australian culture. Authorities say inmates may use the paste to hide contraband or brew alcohol. The judge said a prison sentence limits cultural rights.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Victoria prisoners remain barred from Vegemite under the ruling that kept the 2006 policy intact.
- Similar bans already apply in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania jails.
- Corrections Victoria told the court the smell can distract sniffer dogs seeking drugs.
What's Happening
- McKechnie sued Victoria's Department of Justice and Corrections over food and cultural-rights claims.
- The judge said he had not proven that the ban breached rules on food needed for health and well-being.
- He is serving a life sentence for a 1990s Queensland killing and was later moved to Victoria.
Vegemite Beyond The Prison Gate
- Vegemite first reached Australian shop shelves in 1923 after being invented in Melbourne.
- It was created as an alternative to Britain's Marmite.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year called it rather odd when a Canadian cafe faced a local health dispute over jars of the spread.
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