The witness list for the Sydney siege inquest will be streamlined, with the most critical decision makers expected to begin giving evidence next week.
Coroner Michael Barnes on Thursday accepted an application from counsel assisting the inquest into the Sydney siege, Jeremy Gormly SC, that the witness list be cut so as to expedite the inquiry process.
The ruling in favour of the application came despite objections from lawyers representing the family of slain Lindt Cafe manager Tori Johnson, who insisted the family had a right to hear from certain witnesses, including a sniper that saw their son in his final minutes.
Mr Barnes said the new witness list could be altered further following applications from counsel, including on the grounds of wanting "to satisfy a bereaved family member".
The streamlined list of about 17 critical witnesses will include the chief of the negotiation team, experts, the commander of the tactical operations unit, the officer in charge of the police snipers, and the two officers who fired shots at Man Haron Monis.
"I am persuaded that there is a pressing need for the report from this inquest to be finalised and published," Mr Barnes said on Thursday, adding that he had agreed with counsel assisting the inquest that there was no need to call every witness to give oral evidence.
"Declining to call a particular witness does not mean his or her evidence is being concealed or suppressed," Mr Barnes said.
Mr Gormly had warned in making his application that the inquest was at risk of spilling "well into 2017" in terms of its ability to report its findings.
He argued an expedited process was necessary because of the "risk of another terrorist incident", and that authorities in Australia and around the world were watching proceedings closely.
But Dr Peggy Dwyer, counsel assisting the family of Mr Johnson, objected to the application, saying it would mean witnesses the family needed to hear from, including a sniper who saw their son in the minutes before he was killed by Monis, would not be called.
"He's a sniper who saw Tori in the minutes before Tori was shot, on his knees with his hands above his head," Dr Dwyer said.
"You can imagine how important it is for the family: how he could communicate that information and if there were barriers, whether those barriers could be removed," she said.
"It is of great importance to Tori's family that if lives can be saved from the tragic loss of their son next time, that they are."
Dr Dwyer said it was "really distressing" to the family to have arguments about the witness list at such a late stage in the inquest, putting forward that to hear from all witnesses would only take an additional two weeks.
Mr Barnes, however, said he was not satisfied that calling all witnesses would only add two weeks.
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