A New Zealand court has blocked a Brenton Tarrant appeal against his guilty pleas for the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, describing the bid as “utterly devoid of merit.”
Tarrant, an Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 worshippers at two mosques, requested the court of appeal in February to revisit his pleas. He claimed that harsh prison conditions had deteriorated his mental health and compelled him to admit to the crimes.
In a decision released Thursday, the court rejected Tarrant’s claims. Judges stated his evidence regarding his mental state was inconsistent with observations made by mental health professionals, trial lawyers, and prison authorities.
The court further determined that Tarrant “endeavoured to mislead us about his state of mind” in a weak attempt to advance the appeal. The ruling noted that all other evidence showed he made an informed and rational decision to plead guilty.
Court Rejects Brenton Tarrant Appeal
The court found that Tarrant was not pressured or coerced into his guilty pleas. Evidence overwhelmingly demonstrated that he was not suffering significant psychological impacts from prison conditions at the time the pleas were entered.
Additionally, the court noted that Tarrant failed to adequately explain why there was a delay in filing his notice of appeal, despite having access to legal counsel.
Tarrant pleaded guilty in March 2020 to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and a terrorism charge. In August 2020, he became the first person in New Zealand history to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
During a week-long hearing that began in February, Tarrant alleged he suffered “nervous exhaustion” due to solitary confinement and limited contact with other prisoners. He claimed he masked his mental illness due to the “political movement” he is a part of.
Crown lawyer Barnaby Hawes countered these claims, describing Tarrant as an “unreliable witness.” Hawes emphasized that the evidence of guilt—including a livestream of the attacks—was so overwhelming that a guilty verdict would have been assured at trial.
Tarrant moved to New Zealand in 2017 specifically to plan the white supremacist attack. Before opening fire, he conducted reconnaissance at the mosques and distributed a manifesto detailing his racist views.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the government led by Jacinda Ardern banned military-style semi-automatic rifles and created a national firearms registry.
A coronial investigation into the attacks remains ongoing. In October 2025, the high court left the door open for Tarrant to be called as a witness, despite objections from the families of the victims and survivors.
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