The Christchurch Mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant launched a fresh legal challenge over his prison conditions. The plea will be heard by Justice Geoffrey Venning in the High Court at Auckland on April 15.
Tarrant is serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole and this is the first time a person in New Zealand is convicted without being granted bail and he is also booked under terrorism laws.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had said when he was arrested that he "will never see the light of day again," meaning Tarrant will never be allowed to step foot out of prison. Now the shooter has sought a judicial review over his prison conditions and lifetime imprisonment, and will also challenge his "designation as a terrorist entity," reported NZHerald.
Records also show that Tarrant has ditched lawyers who previously represented him and it is reported that he would represent himself tomorrow during the judicial review.
Court records found online show the hearing is set to take place in the chambers, which is not open to the public. However, only accredited media personals are permitted to attend the closed room private hearing.
What Is A Judicial Review?
In New Zealand, a judicial review happens when a judge is asked to review the previously taken legal actions or decisions. The judge can look at whether the decision was made in accordance with the law and will hear the convict or the convict's lawyer when they challenge the decision.
Judicial reviews are heard only in the High Court and around 180 judicial reviews are heard each year. However, the judge won't be the single entity to decide whether the decision was the right decision.
Brenton Tarrant Is Jailed With Huge Security
The Christchurch Mosque shooter is guarded in a special "prison within a prison" at the expense of the taxpayers money and the facility is known as the 'Prisoners of Extreme Risk Unit', which was set up a few months after the shootings and keeps Tarrant and two others locked up.
''Tarrant is in his own wing and there are 18 guards rostered to monitor him. The other two are in the same wing but they are all dealt with individually, it's a costly exercise,'' said a source to NZHearld.
It is reported that keeping Tarrant in the special prison costs $2.77 million a year, excluding the salaries of the staff members. The entire prison management in New Zealand costs about $1.1 billion to guard 10,000 prisoners and Tarrant is a costly affair to taxpayers.
Brenton Tarrant shot 51 people dead and attempted to murder 40 other people causing them injuries at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre on March 15, 2019. The attack sent shockwaves around the world and was condemned by world leaders and common people alike.
