complied

"Even a legally defective order must be complied with."

The BBC has been told the book was signed off by the cabinet secretary – the UK's most senior civil servant - as having complied with the "Radcliffe Rules" around handling sensitive government information responsibly.

A lawyer representing Mr Cruz Aponte's family said they had also accused the local government of neglecting its duty to ensure the venue complied with all necessary safety guidelines.

There were also concerns about the extent to which the bill complied with international law, and whether it would negatively impact New Zealand's reputation internationally.

The goal of the probe is to determine whether the defence secretary and other staff complied with the department policies on using messaging applications to discuss official business.