Christchurch mosque shooter seeks review of jail conditions, terrorist status
The man responsible for the Christchurch mosque attacks wants to challenge his strict jail conditions and terrorist status.
Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant wants the court to review decisions made by the Department of Corrections about his prison conditions, and his designation as a terrorist entity under New Zealand s Terrorism Suppression Act.
The judicial review will be heard at the High Court in Auckland tomorrow. He will be representing himself.
The Christchurch mosque gunman listens to victim impact statements during his sentencing hearing at Christchurch High Court.(Getty)
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Stuff understands he is fighting the restrictions he has during his life imprisonment, on human rights grounds. Under the Corrections Act, everyone in custody is entitled to exercise, bedding, a proper diet, one private visitor a week, a legal adviser, medical treatment, healthcare, mail, and telephone calls. But there are exceptions. Entitlements can be withheld for various reasons including being segregated or in protective custody, health and safety, and because it s not practicable. Victim’s families and the survivor community were notified about the hearing on Wednesday afternoon. The review has no bearing on the outcome of the criminal case, or the sentence imposed, or on the gunman s terrorism conviction.
The Christchurch mosque shooter has launched a legal claim to have the restrictions on his prison sentence loosened and no longer be classed as a terrorist.
Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant shot 51 people dead and wounded 40 more in an attack on two mosques in New Zealand on March 15, 2019.
He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in August 2020, the harshest punishment ever doled out by a New Zealand court, and was placed in a special facility for terrorists which was set up four months after the attack.
The 30-year-old is manned by 18 guards in the Prisoners of Extreme Risk Unit, which sits inside Paremoremo Prison, in a security operation which costs taxpayers about $2.77million per year.
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Stuff understands he is fighting the restrictions he has during his life imprisonment, on human rights grounds. On Thursday, Justice Venning adjourned the proceedings without a next call date with leave for the gunman or the Crown to seek leave to have it relisted. In a minute issued after the hearing, Justice Venning said the gunman had penned a letter to the court on February 27 raising two potential issues for judicial review including his listing as a terrorist entity and decisions by Corrections over his access to news and mail. The judge said those issues could form the basis of judicial review proceedings but would need to be properly and formally pleased so the Crown can properly respond to the claims.