Hawza News Agency - (Christchurch - New Zealand) - The number of people allowed to attend the sentencing of the Christchurch mosque gunman has been almost halved due to the new outbreak of Covid-19.

Further details of the plans for the sentencing of the March 15 mosque gunman have been released today ahead of the hearing in Christchurch next week.

Details include how many people will read victim impact statements, language support and special facilities at the court precinct to accommodate the families attending.

The sentencing of convicted killer, Australian national Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 29, is scheduled to begin on August 24 and take three days or more.

It will be held in the High Court at Christchurch before Justice Cameron Mander.

The Court will begin sitting at 10 am each day and adjourn at 5pm.

On Monday the sentencing will begin with the Crown prosecutor reading the summary of facts in open court for the first time.

Then victims who wish to read victim impact statements will take turns being heard.

Presently 66 victims have advised they wish their statement to be read in court.

The statements will either be read in person, pre-recorded or read by a representative of the victim.