Brenton Tarrant appeared in the High Court in Christchurch via video-link from Auckland Prison, Paremoremo, this morning (local time)
His defence counsel, Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson, also appeared in court via video-link.
They confirmed they had filed an application to withdraw from the case after receiving instructions from the accused that he wished to represent himself.
Justice Cameron Mander confirmed the shooter understood his rights to legal representation and he chose to waive those rights, before granting Tait and Hudson leave to withdraw as defence counsel.
The court was adjourned about 9.30am, but Justice Mander ruled details of the proceedings could not be reported until an hour had lapsed to allow victim advisers to inform the victims of the latest development.
Justice Mander said the shooter’s choice to represent himself will not affect the sentencing, which would proceed on August 24 as planned.
The court would appoint standby counsel for the sentencing hearing, whose role is to represent the accused should he later choose to be legally represented.
The accused will be sentenced on 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and a charge of committing a terrorist act after he entered shock guilty pleas to all charges in March.
The sentencing is scheduled to start on August 24 and is expected to take three days.
Justice Mander previously said the Government had been looking at potential steps to help victims and family members who are overseas to travel to New Zealand to attend the sentencing.
Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway last week said a process had been established to allow victims and family members to come to New Zealand on humanitarian grounds.
Lees-Galloway said quarantine arrangements and commercial flight availability may make travelling to New Zealand a challenge.
To manage isolation and quarantine capacity, those eligible to apply for a border exception under new humanitarian grounds include up to two family members of those killed or one family member and one support person; those who were subject to an attempted murder in the attack and one family member or support person to accompany them.
“I understand the Ministry of Justice has been working with the court to put in place technology options to enable victims who are overseas and unable to travel to view the sentencing hearing and read a victim impact statement remotely,” he said.
Source: 9News
