March 2019 massacres happened at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon

The Court of Appeal will hear from the lawyers who would have represented Brenton Tarrant if he went to trial.

The 35-year-old white supremacist is seeking to overturn his guilty pleas for the March 2019 massacres at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre.

He now claims he only pleaded guilty as he was irrational due to the solitary nature of his prison conditions.

The court heard the terrorist told his then-lawyers that he always intended to plead guilty.

But the terrorist disputed that, telling the court he planned on representing himself at trial and running his own defence.

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The 35-year-old is seeking leave to appeal his convictions and life sentence for the massacres at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in 2019. Audio

The court will hear evidence on an extension of time for the terrorist to appeal his conviction and sentence in February next year.

Survivors and victims' families had objected to hearing from the white supremacist as part of the coronial inquest into the attacks.

The pair fear repercussions for themselves and families for being associated with the terrorist, a court has heard.

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