Australian prisoner loses challenge to Vegemite ban
publishers 15articles 16first reported 26 Oct, 03:45 UTCdeveloping since 26 Oct · 7 editions
An Australian prisoner serving a life sentence for murder has lost a legal challenge to Victoria’s ban on inmates consuming Vegemite.
Andre McKechnie argued that denying him the yeast-based spread breached his right under Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities to enjoy his culture as an Australian. He also claimed the refusal violated a requirement that prisons provide food adequate to maintain prisoners’ health and wellbeing.
On Monday, Victorian Supreme Court Justice Claire Harris dismissed his 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 has been prohibited in Victoria’s prisons since 2006 because its strong smell could interfere with drug-detection dogs and its yeast content could be used to brew alcohol. McKechnie argued that New South Wales prisons’ sale of Vegemite showed less restrictive measures were available, but the judge upheld Victoria’s policy.
McKechnie was sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1996 stabbing murder of property developer Otto Kuhne in Queensland and was later transferred to Victoria. Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania also prohibit Vegemite in prisons, while New South Wales allows it.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 7 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 18 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 15
- Source articles
- 16
- Given to the writer
- 7, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 18 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 →