A New Zealand judge on Friday ordered that the man accused of killing 50 people at two Christchurch mosques undergo two mental health assessments to determine if he's fit to stand trial.
High Court judge Cameron Mander made the order during a hearing in which 28-year-old Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant appeared via video link from a small room at the maximum security Paremoremo prison in Auckland.
The judge said Tarrant was charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 counts of attempted murder. Police initially filed a single, representative murder charge before filing the additional charges this week. Tarrant had stubble and close-cropped hair. He showed no emotion during the hearing. At times he looked around the room or cocked his head, seemingly to better hear what was being said. The judge explained that from his end, Tarrant could see the judge and lawyers but not those in the public gallery.
The courtroom was filled with more than two dozen reporters and about 60 members of the public. A court registrar greeted people in Arabic and English as the hearing got underway. Some of those watching got emotional and wept.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
If 50 is the new 40, should we be allowed to change our birth certificates?A University of Oslo scholar says a moral case could be made for allowing people to legally change their age if their biological and emotional age doesn’t match their chronological age
Read more »
New Zealand lawmakers pass initial vote for new gun controlsThe new gun restrictions bill would ban the types of weapons a gunman used to kill 50 people at two mosques in Chirstchurch last month
Read more »
New Zealand lawmakers pass initial vote for new gun controlsNew Zealand lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of new gun control measures during the first stage of a bill they hope to rush into law by the end of next week.
Read more »
New Australia law threatens social media companies with fines, jail time over violent contentAlleged gunman of New Zealand mosque shooting due back in court on Friday
Read more »
New Zealand is not showing Canada the way on gun control - Macleans.caMatt Gurney: The country has been widely praised for its gun crackdown, but it is mostly just catching up to Canada’s existing laws
Read more »
New Zealand initiates bill to ban guns used in mosque attackNew Zealand's government on Monday introduced a bill it plans to rush into law that would ban the types of weapons a gunman used to kill 50 people at two mosques.
Read more »