Australian prisoner loses challenge to Vegemite ban
publishers 11articles 11first reported 26 Oct, 03:45 UTCdeveloping since 26 Oct · 7 editions
A convicted murderer serving a life sentence has lost a legal challenge to Victoria’s ban on prisoners consuming Vegemite.
Andre McKechnie argued that being denied the yeast-based spread infringed his right under Victoria’s human rights charter to enjoy his culture as an Australian. He also claimed the refusal breached requirements that prisons provide food adequate to maintain inmates’ health and wellbeing.
On Monday, Victorian Supreme Court Justice Claire Harris dismissed the case. Harris accepted that the refusal limited McKechnie’s cultural rights but found the restriction reasonable and justified by prison authorities’ responsibilities for security, order and prisoner welfare. The court also found no infringement of his right to adequate food.
Corrections officials said Vegemite could be used to brew alcohol because of its yeast content and that its strong smell might interfere with drug-detection dogs. The spread has been banned in Victoria’s prisons since 2006. Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania also prohibit it in prisons, while New South Wales allows it to be sold in correctional centres.
McKechnie was sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1996 stabbing murder of property developer Otto Kuhne in Queensland. He was later transferred to Victoria, where he represented himself in the case by video link from Barwon Prison.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 6 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 6 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 12 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 11
- Source articles
- 11
- Given to the writer
- 6, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 6
- This version written
- 12 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →