Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
The second-phase inquest into the deaths of the 51 worshippers murdered at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre has adjourned with the evidence partially heard.
The inquest has been examining how the terrorist got his gun licence and the laws surrounding firearms licensing prior to the attack.
During the past three weeks the inquest heard details of a police firearms licensing regime that was understaffed, underfunded and overworked before the Christchurch terror attack.
The court heard arms officers were dealing with firearms community members who saw firearms as a right rather than a privilege.
It was also operating with a gaping loophole that allowed people including the terrorist to obtain a standard firearms licence and with it, buy centrefire semi-automatic rifles that could be equipped with high-capacity magazines.
No licence was needed for the magazines because they were entirely unregulated.
The inquest also heard how police had made multiple attempts to stress the danger of the loophole to politicians of successive governments, but political will was lacking until 51 lives were lost.
More answers wanted
The hearing ended with moving statements from the lawyers representing the families of the victims and survivors of the attack, police and deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley.
Many of the aspects examined during the inquest were already covered by a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the mosque shootings, but Windley said victims, survivors and their families wanted more answers than it gave them.
"In my opening, I recalled that in setting the scope of this inquiry back in April 2022, counsel for many of the families of those who died and for the bullet-injured survivors strongly urged me to look at these issues afresh in this court," she said in closing.
"They needed to see, hear and, if necessary, test the evidence that underpinned the Royal Commission's conclusions and findings.
"They needed greater clarity as to the link between the firearms licence and the attack. They wanted to know whether the deficiencies that the Royal Commission had identified in the licensing system had now been fixed. They wanted to know that lessons had in fact been learned.
"The evidence that we've heard has revealed that there are some significant complexities and challenges involved in ensuring legitimate firearms use is properly balanced with public safety risk."
Deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley. Photo: Iain McGregor
Kathryn Dalziel, a lawyer for some of the victims and their families, read a statement written by her clients.
"As we close this important chapter, we acknowledge the mixed emotions our community feels. We live with enduring trauma. The daily weight of grief from the tragedy of March 15, 2019, and that loss touches every aspect of our lives. For the bullet-injured, we live with the memory of what we saw on March 15, 2019, and we will never fully recover from our injuries, both internal and external," she said.
Another lawyer for some of the victims and their families, Fatima Ali, paid tribute to the victims, their families and their loved ones around the world.
"We recognise that this inquiry serves as a reminder for those who experienced violence prior to the March 15th attacks, and we acknowledge the ongoing challenges faced by those survivors impacted by firearms-based violence," he said.
"We acknowledge the individuals and families who are dealing with the death of loved ones in Palestine and other parts of the world while engaging in this process. We recognise their grief as their loved ones are currently being forcefully and brutally displaced.
"We acknowledge the frustration of families who experience a world in which some are more free from scrutiny than others. That some have immunity from detection depending on the alignment of their culture or skin colour and simply by not standing out as different or foreign."
Dr Amir Bastani said his clients wanted to ensure a tragedy like the Christchurch shooting was never repeated.
"I emphasise that the Muslim community consider themselves as part of the New Zealand community and they are thankful to the support that they have been given by the New Zealand wider community. The Muslim community considers that the tragedy that happened to them can happen to any community because terrorists never differentiate between religions, races and ethnicities," he said.
Kerryn Beaton KC said her clients had been frustrated by some of the evidence highlighting gaps in firearms regulation prior to the attack, but welcomed police acknowledging those issues.
"Our clients have large gaps, large holes in their lives from the loss of their family members, so hearing evidence about lack of training, lack of resourcing, lack of capacity and lack of funding both back in 2017 and now has been difficult and frustrating for them to hear. And their response is this - as a country we cannot allow resourcing and cost concerns to overshadow the priceless value of human lives, the lives of their family members who paid the ultimate price," she said.
The coroner told those present in the public gallery and viewing the hearing online she now had further matters to consider in relation to the inquest, the details of which cannot be reported at present.
Windley said she would also turn her attention to writing her findings for the first-phase inquest that concluded in August and dealt with the events of 15 March 2019 and the emergency services response on that day.
