Failed appeal pushes mosque terrorist’s legal costs beyond $1.3 million

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

Police tape fences off Christchurch’s Al Noor Mosque in the aftermath of the March 15, 2019 terrorist attack.

More than $1.3 million has been spent on the Christchurch mosque terrorist's legal cases and failed appeal, including more than $537,000 in legal aid and $842,000 in court, ministry and victim-support costs, newly released figures show.

The costs were revealed weeks after the Court of Appeal rejected Brenton Tarrant’s bid to overturn his convictions and sentence for the March 15, 2019, attacks on Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, describing the appeal as “utterly devoid of merit”.

In a judgment released on April 30, the court found the terrorist had failed to show prison conditions caused such a decline in his mental health that he was irrational when he entered guilty pleas to terrorism and murder charges.

The five-day hearing at the Court of Appeal in Wellington was subject to high security and strict reporting conditions.

The 35-year-old Australian killed 51 worshippers and injured dozens more in the attacks. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, the first sentence of its kind in New Zealand.

The terrorist filed a notice of appeal in November 2022, seeking to challenge both his convictions and sentence. His lawyers argued prison conditions had effectively forced him to plead guilty and that he was not in the right state of mind when he did so.

After a five-day hearing in Wellington in February, the Court of Appeal rejected those claims. Justices Christine French, Susan Thomas and David Collins found he had made an informed and rational decision to plead guilty and had not been coerced or pressured. The court went further, finding he had lied about his state of mind in an attempt to support the appeal.

Brenton Tarrant argued prison conditions contributed to a poor mental state, which prompted his guilty pleas.

The newly released figures show legal aid funding covered a range of proceedings, including the original criminal case, appeals, judicial review actions, a Bill of Rights application and involvement in the Christchurch Masjidain Attack Coronial Inquiry. Total payments made under the grants amounted to $537,335.

The largest single legal aid grant related to the terrorist’s conviction and sentence appeal, with $271,452 approved and paid. Another $211,604 was approved for his original High Court criminal proceedings.

Separate costs incurred by the Ministry of Justice and other agencies between November 2022 and May 31, 2026 totalled $842,187. Those included $320,255 for technology and livestreaming, $141,066 for communications, wellbeing and cultural support, $105,513 through the Victim Assistance Scheme, and almost $80,000 in court-related costs.

The ministry noted the figures do not include ordinary court operating costs such as salaries for judges, court staff and ministry employees supporting the hearing, because those costs are not separately recorded.

The appeal hearing was livestreamed so victims and families could follow proceedings. During the hearing, Tarrant claimed he had spent long periods in isolation, under constant monitoring and without basic amenities such as a television, radio or clock.

However, the Court of Appeal found the evidence of Corrections staff, mental health professionals and Tarrant's own lawyers contradicted his account. The judges concluded the appeal was entirely without merit and dismissed it.