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Prisoner's Vegemite Plea Denied by Court
26 Oct
Summary
- A murderer's bid to reintroduce Vegemite into Victorian prisons failed.
- The prisoner claimed the ban violated his right to Australian culture.
- Courts ruled Vegemite ban lawful, citing security and safety concerns.
A convicted murderer in Victoria has lost a legal challenge seeking to reinstate Vegemite in prisons. The inmate, serving a life sentence, argued that the ban on the iconic Australian spread infringes upon his human right to practice his culture. He stated that the absence of Vegemite left him feeling disconnected.
Vegemite, a yeast-based spread developed in Melbourne in 1919, has been banned in Victorian prisons since 2006. Authorities cite concerns that its strong smell could interfere with drug detection dogs and that the paste could be used to disguise contraband substances. Initial concerns about its use in brewing alcohol have been widely debunked.
The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the prison authorities. Justice Harris stated that the Corrections Act does not obligate prisons to provide culturally significant foods to inmates. She added that prisoners have numerous other avenues to engage with Australian culture, such as through music and literature.
