The Christchurch terrorist has withdrawn his legal challenge over his prison conditions and classification as a terrorist entity.
Brenton Tarrant, the Australian white supremacist, was scheduled to represent himself in a teleconference in chambers before Justice Geoffrey Venning last Thursday morning. However, he didn't appear after raising an issue with access to documents.
Tarrant wrote to the court on February 27, 2021, raising two potential issues for judicial review: his listing as a terrorist entity as well as the Department of Corrections' decisions about his access to news and mail.
On Friday, the High Court released a minute from Justice Venning saying Tarrant had withdrawn his applications for judicial review.
"The informal applications for judicial review are withdrawn by leave. The proceedings are at an end," Justice Venning said.
The gunman was sentenced in August to life in prison without parole for murdering 51 people, attempting to kill 40 others and committing a terrorism offence on March 15, 2019, at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre.
The intention of last Thursday's conference was to confirm Tarrant wanted to pursue those issues, whether he would do so by himself or if he would seek legal assistance, what issues may arise from those decisions and whether the proceedings should be heard in Wellington, given one of the issues raised is his listing as a terrorist entity.
However, Tarrant told prison authorities on last Thursday morning he had a complaint about his lack of access to documents and he wanted the conference postponed. He was told he could raise his issues at the conference, but decided not to attend anyway.
The judicial review would have had no bearing on the outcome of the case, Tarrant's conviction or the sentence imposed on him.
Tarrant has been living in solitary confinement at Paremoremo's Auckland Prison since being sentenced. However, he has been allowed visitors and, as Newshub reported last year, access to a television. He's also given some exercise time.
Corrections said following his sentencing that Tarrant would be "managed under the most stringent custodial regime we have ever developed", and they're committed to ensuring he causes no harm, directly or indirectly to anyone.
