Inmate Sues for His Right to Eat Vegemite

An Australian inmate really wants his Vegemite, and he's taking legal action to get it: Andre McKechnie is challenging a prison ban on the salty spread, arguing that it's a cornerstone of national identity and should be available behind bars. Authorities in Victoria, where the ban has been in place since 2006, cite concerns that inmates could use Vegemite's potent aroma to mask contraband or even ferment it into makeshift booze, due to its yeast content, per the BBC. But McKechnie, who's serving a life sentence for a 1990s murder, says the ban infringes on his right to participate in Australian culture.

He's not done there: In his lawsuit against Victoria's Department of Justice and Community Safety, as well as Corrections Victoria, which manages the state's prison's, the 54-year-old also claims prison officials haven't given him enough food to maintain his health, per the AP. The news agency notes that more than four-fifths of Australians are believed to have a jar of Vegemite in their cupboards.

Crime victims and their families are slamming the suit as a frivolous one. "It's always about the perpetrator, and this just reinforces that," says attorney John Herron, whose daughter was murdered in 2019. "It's an extra perk that is rubbing our faces in the tragedy that we've suffered." 7NEWS reports that McKechnie also "commenced a proceeding" against the state in 2021 to stop it from "forcing" him to eat food that wasn't prepared according to Jewish kosher guidance. McKechnie's case is expected to go to trial next July.