Royal commission on Chch mosques massacre concludes work

WELLINGTON: The royal commission charged with investigating the Christchurch mosques massacre has concluded its work, having conducted nearly 400 meetings and interviews, including with

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Ms Ardern and predecessor Sir John Key were among those questioned under oath for the investigation, their testimony the subject of confidentiality orders.

After several delays and cost blowouts, the report is due to be handed to GovernorGeneral Patsy Reddy next week, and passed on to Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti, who is then legally obliged to table it in Parliament.

‘‘Our report has been informed by months of gathering evidence, talking to community members and analysing submissions,’’ commissioner Jacqui Caine said yesterday.

Ms Caine said the report was written ‘‘so that it can be published in full without the need for redaction to protect national security or privacy or confidentiality matters’’.

Others interviewed for the report include senior bureaucrats and police, the Human Rights Commission, the Islamic Women’s Council and international terror experts.

The commission is investigating what New Zealand’s arms of government knew and did before the attack, and what can be done to prevent future attacks.

A total of 51 worshippers were killed on March 15 last year in the atrocity. Australianborn Brenton Tarrant was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crimes in August. — AAP