The accused Christchurch gunman will not be in court for his next appearance, it has been confirmed.
The man has been charged with one count of murder following two attacks on mosques in the South Island city on March 15 this year.
He first appeared at the Christchurch District Court on March 16 and was to appear at the High Court on Friday morning.
In a minute issued to media organisations, including RNZ, who had applied for in-court media coverage, Justice Mander said today the defendant would appear in the High Court via audio-visual link for what would be a "relatively brief" hearing.
The judge said the accused would not be required to enter a plea to the murder charge, or others the Crown was expected to file before Friday.
He said the primary purpose of the hearing was to establish the accused gunman's legal representation, if any, and other administrative matters.
Twelve in-court media applications to film, photograph and record sound at the hearing were declined.
Some of the factors Justice Mander said he had taken into account when reaching his decision were the need to preserve the integrity of the trial process and to ensure a fair trial.
Media still have a right to remain in court for the hearing and report on its content, subject to any suppression orders or in-chambers discussions.
