There’s no human right to Vegemite, court tells Australian prisoner who wanted ban overturned
Summary
A Victorian court rejected prisoner Andre McKechnie’s challenge to the ban on Vegemite in Victorian prisons. The judge said the ban was justified by prison security and safety concerns, and did not breach his rights to adequate food or cultural practice.Key Facts
- McKechnie argued that denying him Vegemite prevented him from practising Australian culture and harmed his connection to family and community.
- Victoria banned Vegemite in prisons in 2006, citing concerns that it could interfere with narcotic detection dogs and be used to brew alcohol.
- Justice Claire Harris ruled that the ban was a proportionate measure tied to prison authorities’ security, management and welfare duties.
- McKechnie is serving a life sentence for the stabbing murder of Queensland property developer Otto Kuhne.
- Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania also ban Vegemite in prisons, while New South Wales allows it in correctional centres.
- Vegemite was developed in Melbourne in 1923 as an alternative to Britain’s Marmite.
- Bega bought the Vegemite brand from Kraft in 2013.
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