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9.06pm:
Sections of the Lindt building have been provisionally re-opened and access to Phillip Street chambers will be permitted on Wednesday morning. Barristers will be able to access Frederick Jordan and Garfield Barwick chambers.
"The Bar Association is very grateful for the generosity shown by these chambers. It is yet another demonstration of the collegiate nature of the NSW Bar including the care and support shown by its members during this difficult time," said Arthur Moses SC.
All roads have been reopened in the centre of Sydney but the corner of Phillip street and Martin Place where the Lindt Café sits will remain blocked off for several days to come.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Fuller has urged all Sydneysiders to go about their daily activities as usual on Wednesday.
"Martin Place will be open and we will ensure there is a strong police presence to maintain public confidence. Police again thank all members of the community for their patience as we continue to conduct investigations," Mr Fuller said.
"NSW Police officers continue to carefully undertake crime scene analysis at the café, and that will continue tomorrow. Further information will be issued on access to Philip Street for the public early tomorrow morning," he said.
6.15pm:
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said the gunman behind Monday's siege in Martin Place was not on any government terror watch lists.
Speaking in Sydney on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Abbott said although gunman Man Haron Monis was well known to the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police and ASIO he "did not believe that he was on a terror watch list at this time."
"If I can be candid with you, that is the question that we were asking ourselves around the national security committee of the cabinet today," Mr Abbott said.
"How can someone who has had such along and chequered history, not be on the appropriate watch lists and how can someone like that be entirely at large in the community?
"These are questions that we need to look at carefully and calmly and methodically, to learn the right lessons, and to act upon them.
4.10pm:
A mass to honour the victims of the siege and their families will be held at the Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral at 12.10pm on Wednesday.
Father Ron Peters said the church service would also be offered to the the hostage survivors and their families and as a thank you to the police force.
4.00pm:
When Tori Johnson heard that six-year-old Henry Hinchcliff had never eaten a Easter egg, he was determined to fix the situation.
The Lindt cafe manager invited Henry and his family to visit him in Martin Place and collect a bag of Easter goodies he'd had specially made for them.
And so one day in April, Mercedez Hinchcliff and her children, Henry and Kate, set off from their home in Wollongong for the ultimate chocolate experience.
3.45pm:
3.30pm:
NSW Police say they have executed a search warrant at a house in Belmore in relation to the Martin Place siege.
Police are yet to reveal publicly who lives at the property, but Fairfax Media understands it is the home of Man Monis' partner, Amirah Droudis.
Ms Droudis is currently on bail charged with the murder of Monis's ex-wife, Noleen Hayon Pal. Monis had been charged as an accessory to that crime.
More details to come
3pm:
Several sources have told Fairfax Media the evacuation currently underway at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra is not a drill but a response to a bomb threat.
Police have closed Brisbane Avenue, John McEwan Crescent and Sydney Avenue and have asked drivers to find an alternative route.
2.53pm:
Fairfax Media can reveal the gunman behind the siege, Man Haron Monis, "slipped through the cracks" of NSW's bail system by just six days, Louise Hall and Nicole Hasham report.
Monis had been released on bail in May after being charged with more than 40 counts of sexual assault.
NSW Attorney-General Brad Hazzard said on Tuesday that stricter bail laws would be implemented at the end of January in 2015, and it was unlikely that Monis would have been released on bail had those rules been in place.
"This government changed the Bail Act to ensure greater safety for our community. It was changed to ensure that offenders involved in serious crime will not get bail," he said.
1.05pm:
Police and the judiciary are being trained to implement new, stricter bail laws, Premier Mike Baird's office says, as questions are raised over why Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis was free on bail.
The NSW government is being urged to fast-track the laws in light of the tragedy, reports Nicole Hasham.
Monis, who was shot dead by police in the early hours of Tuesday morning, was before the courts on two separate and serious matters: more than 40 sexual assault charges involving seven alleged victims and as an accessory to the murder of his former partner.
12.30pm:
The parents of Tori Johnson, the Lindt Chocolat Cafe manager who was shot dead in the Martin Place siege, have released a statement paying tribute to their "beautiful boy".
"We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori, gone from this earth but forever in our memories as the most amazing life partner, son and brother we could ever wish for," the 34-year-old's parents said in a statement.
"We feel heartfelt sorrow for the family of Katrina Dawson.
"We'd like to thank not only our friends and loved ones for their support, but the people of Sydney; Australia and those around the world for reaching out with their thoughts and prayers.
"Our deepest gratitude to the NSW police, armed forces and paramedics for their tireless efforts.
"We ask that the media respects our privacy in this difficult time.
"Let us all pray for peace on earth."
11.40pm:
Two of the hostages being held at gunpoint in a Martin Place cafe overnight were pregnant, police have revealed.
Another hostage was a 75-year-old woman who was shot in the shoulder.
All women were in a stable condition in hospital on Tuesday, police said.
This is the latest information we have about the injured hostages:
- A 75-year-old woman was shot in the shoulder. She is in a stable condition.
- A 52-year-old woman was shot in the foot. She is in a stable condition.
- A 43-year-old woman was shot in the leg. She is in a stable condition.
- A 39-year-old man received a minor facial injury due to gunshot. He was treated at hospital and has been discharged.
- A 35-year-old pregnant woman was being assessed at hospital. She is in a stable condition.
- A 30-year-old pregnant woman was assessed in hospital. She is in a stable condition.
11.18pm:
Deputy Commissioner Burn said she had spoken to the police officer who was injured in the Sydney siege.
That officer is believed to have suffered pellet wounds in the raid on the cafe just after 2am on Tuesday. He has since been released from hospital.
"I've spoken to him this morning," Deputy Commissioner Burn said.
"He was on his way home actually, and he was a little bit shaken. His only words to me were 'I'll be back at work tomorrow'."
11.10pm:
Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn is providing more information about the hostages injured in the Martin Place siege overnight.
She said of the six people taken to hospital with injuries, three were women who had suffered gunshot wounds. They were all in hospital in a stable condition.
One male police officer had been discharged from hospital, while two other women had been treated for "health and welfare purposes", she said.
11.04am:
In a climate of fear and uncertainty, Australians have banded together to show their support for the Muslim population.
The #illridewithyou hashtag amassed almost 120,000 tweets on Monday evening, as Australians took a stand against anti-Muslim sentiment in the wake of the Martin Place siege.
We'd like to talk to anyone from the Illawarra who took up an offer, or offered to help someone through the #illridewithyou campaign? Email joshua.butler@illawarramercury.com.au or call 4221 2207.
10.15am:
The family of Noleen Hayson Pal, the slain ex-wife of the Sydney siege gunman, have expressed their anger that he was not behind bars, writes Melanie Kembrey.
Man Haron Monis, 50, who was shot dead by police in the early hours of Tuesday morning,was on bail after being charged with being an accessory before and after the fact to the 2013 murder of Pal.
Pal's brother Talat Khalik, who lives in California, posted a series of furious comments about Monis on Facebook.
"Thats systems tere f***d up but im still happy he.died [sic]," Mr Khalik posted on his Facebook page.
10am:
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said he was "not far from" tears when he came to visit a make-shift shrine Martin Place on Tuesday morning.
"It's incredibly sad, I've got to say I don't think I could be sadder," Mr Scipione said.
"Having said that, I'm completely proud of our police and what they have done to keep us safe, I've got nothing but praise for them."
Mr Scipione said he wanted to see the flowers people had left as a tribute to the siege victims.
"I've come to have a look at what Sydney's done," he said.
9.45am:
The 34-year-old man killed in the Martin Place siege was Tori Johnson, the manager of the Lindt Chocolat Cafe, reports Nick Ralston.
Johnson had worked at the cafe for more than two years, and had worked in a host of restaurants in Sydney and the US.
9.15am:
Sydney barrister Katrina Dawson has been confirmed as the 38-year-old woman who was tragically killed during the siege at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place.
The mother of three and rising star at the commercial bar was one of two hostages who was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital after an exchange of gunfire just after 2am on Tuesday.
Ms Dawson, a highly respected barrister from Eighth Floor Selborne chambers in Phillip Street, is the younger sister of prominent defamation barrister Sandy Dawson and McKinsey & Company director Angus Dawson.
The Ascham old girl topped the state in the Higher School Certificate in 1994, with a TER of 100, and topped her bar exams.
An alumna of the University of Sydney Law School, Ms Dawson completed her Master of Laws at the University of NSW. She was called to the bar in 2005 and her chambers are metres from the Lindt Cafe.
She has three children aged under ten - two girls and a boy - the eldest of whom are at Ascham and Cranbrook in Sydney. The youngest, a girl, is four years old.
By Michaela Whitbourn
9.15am:
9.05am:
In the aftermath of the Martin Place siege, there will be some disruption to a number of courts in the CBD.
The Supreme Court in the Law Courts Building at Queens Square, the King Street courts and the Land and Environment Court are closed until midday, reports Louise Hall.
The Supreme Court at Darlinghurst, the Downing Centre courts and Central Local Court are operating as usual.
Victims and their families can contact the Victims Support Scheme hotline on 1800 633 063 or 8688 5511 for free counselling and financial support.
9.01am:
A series of gunshots fired from inside a Sydney cafe, where 17 people were being held hostage, triggered police to storm the premises, bringing a tragic end to a 16-hour seige, which left three people dead including the gunman.
Police stormed the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place just after 2am on Tuesday morning, after gunshots, believed to be fired by self-described cleric and hostage-taker Man Haron Monis, were heard coming from inside the cafe.
Watch: moment the siege ended
8.50am:
8.40am: Mr Abbott continues
"The events in Martin Place also show that we are ready to deal with these people professionally and with the full force of law.
"I want to thank the NSW police and all the other agencies involved for their professionalism and courage. Yesterday, Premier Baird showed great steadfastness and Sydneysiders can be proud of their calm during what was a very difficult and testing day.
"Australians should be reassured by the way our law enforcement and security agencies responded to this brush with terrorism. There is nothing more Australian than dropping in at the local cafe for a morning coffee and it's tragic beyond words that people going about their everyday business should have been caught up in such a horrific incident.
"Our hearts go out to all of those caught up in this appalling incident and their loved ones.
"On behalf of all Australians, I extend my sympathy to the families of the two hostages who died overnight.
"These events do demonstrate that even a country as free, as open, as generous and as safe as ours is vulnerable to acts of politically motivated violence but they also remind us that Australia and Australians are resilient and we are ready to respond.
"Plainly, there are lessons to be learned and we will thoroughly examine this incident to decide what lessons can be learned but I do want, now, in the hours immediately after the conclusion of the siege, to offer these words of comfort to those caught up in it and reassurance to the Australian people."
Mr Abbott will fly to Sydney this afternoon for further briefings.
8.35am:
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has just emerged from a meeting of cabinet's National Security Committee and is delivering a statement to the press at Parliament House in Canberra, reports Bevan Shields.
"Early this morning the Martin Place siege ended with the death of the lone gunman and, tragically, the loss of two hostages, innocent Australians caught up in the horror of yesterday," Mr Abbott said.
"Five other people, four hostages and a NSW police officer, have been injured.
"State and Commonwealth agencies are investigating. Understandably, there is lot of speculation but it will take time to clarify exactly what happened in Martin Place and why. What we do know is that the perpetrator was well known to State and Commonwealth authorities. He had a long history of violent crime, infatuation with extremism and mental instability.
"We know that he sent offensive letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan and was found guilty of offences related to this. We also know that he posted graphic extremist material online."
"As the siege unfolded yesterday, he sought to cloak his actions with the symbolism of the ISIL death cult. Tragically, there are people in our community ready to engage in politically motivated violence."
Mr Abbott was due to fly back to Sydney yesterday but cancelled the flight to remain in Canberra to monitor the situation.
Mr Abbott will not take questions during this press conference.
8.26am:
Sydney mother Terri Lucia knew the man who was killed during the siege, and came back to Martin Place on Tuesday morning to leave flowers in his memory, reports Emma Partridge.
"We knew he was in there all day and I just found out this morning that he was dead," she said.
"It's just horrible. I just feel that we've lost something. Something that I felt we were protected from. That's what's making it so upsetting. I do feel we lost some of our innocence yesterday."
Ms Lucia was one of at least two dozen people who left flowers on the ground at Martin Place on Tuesday morning.
"I had to come down and see what was happening. I just feel so overwhelmed, it just doesn't feel the same today. Martin Place is such a beautiful area but today it just feels numb."
8.20am:
Lindt Australia posted a message on its Facebook page on Tuesday morning, saying the company was "profoundly saddened and deeply affected about the death of innocent people".
"We are devastated by the loss of their lives and that several others were wounded and had to experience such trauma. Our thoughts and feelings are with the victims and their families who have been through an incredible ordeal, and we want to pay tribute to their courage and bravery."
8.10am:
The gunman killed in the Martin Place siege was Man Haron Monis. The 50-year-old was shot dead just after 2am on Tuesday. Two hostages - a man, aged 34, and a woman, 38, were also killed.
The question has arisen: How was this gunman ever free on bail?
Monis was before the courts on two separate and serious matters: more than 40 sexual assault charges involving seven alleged victims; and as an accessory to the murder of his former partner.
7.55am:
Australia woke on Tuesday to the devastating news that two hostages had been shot dead in the siege in Martin Place. The lone gunman, Man Haron Monis, was also killed shortly after 2am, police said.
The tragedy and sense of loss has resonated around the city.
Mourners have started to leave flowers near Martin Place, usually a bustling pedestrian mall at this time of the morning, but which on Tuesday was all but deserted.
Stay strong, Sydney.
7.46am:
For those people heading into Sydney's CBD on Tuesday morning, there are several road diversions still in place.
Police will continue to maintain a perimeter around the Lindt Chocolat Cafe, at the corner of Martin Place and Phillip Street.
Police have also cordoned off Hunter, King, Phillip and Elizabeth streets.
This is the latest information from police:
• Elizabeth Street between Hunter and King Streets – closed to all traffic
• Elizabeth Street – north-bound between Market and King Street – closed to all traffic
• Phillip Street – between King and Hunter streets – closed to all traffic
• King Street – between Elizabeth and Phillip streets – closed to all traffic
• Macquarie Street – between St James Road and Hunter Street – closed to all traffic
Bus services will run according to regular schedules, although some routes will be diverted around the affected area.
7:11am:
Victims at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Four cars left the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital at about 6.45am on Tuesday, reports Daisy Dumas.
It is not known whether they held hostages, but they are believed to have been driven by relatives of those caught up in the siege.
The second car to have left RPA at that time was carrying a passenger with a jacket over her head.
There is a heavy police presence at RPA, though little is known about the identity and number of hostages remaining in the Camperdown hospital.
Police have confirmed the deaths of three people, including the hostage-taker, a 50-year-old male. A woman, 38, and a man, 34, were pronounced dead after being taken to hospital after an exchange of gunfire just after 2am.
Two women were taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries, a police officer was taken to hospital with a wound from gunshot pellets and another woman was admitted to hospital with a gunshot wound to her shoulder.
Another woman, aged 35, was taken to hospital as a precaution.
7:09am:
Victims at Royal North Shore Hospital
Following the siege, two hostage victims and a police officer were taken to Royal North Shore Hospital, reports Josh Dye.
The 39-year-old police officer was discharged early on Tuesday morning.
A 43-year-old woman is in a serious but stable condition. She has a gunshot wound to her leg.
A 30-year-old woman remains in hospital but is expected to be released later on Tuesday.
The families at this stage have declined to speak to the media.
7:03am:
'Today, all of Australia stands with Sydney'
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has released a statement, saying the deaths of two innocent hostages "breaks our hearts".
"Our thoughts and prayers are with their families," he said.
"We also keep in our thoughts the wounded and other hostages, and their families. Their ordeal is not over.
"We owe our full gratitude to our police and security agencies for their bravery, service and sacrifice. Their skill and professionalism has saved lives.
"The Opposition continues to offer the Government its full support during this difficult time. The Prime Minister and I are partners when it comes to keeping Australians safe.
"Today, all of Australia stands with Sydney."
6:55am:
Prime Minister Tony Abbott responds
Prime Minister Tony Abbott offered condolences to the families of the two dead hostages, the wounded and everyone involved in the siege, reports David Wroe.
Mr Abbott said the national security committee of Cabinet would meet shortly.
"Australians awoke to the news this morning that the siege in Martin Place has ended," he said.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two deceased hostages, the wounded and the other hostages.
"I commend the courage and professionalism of the New South Wales Police and other emergency services involved."
Mr Abbott said he had been briefed by Mr Baird, Commissioner Scipione and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin early on Tuesday morning.
6:46am:
Sydney siege: what we know
The siege at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place came to a dramatic end just after 2am on Tuesday. This is how it unfolded:
At 2.03am, seven hostages were seen running from the cafe out onto the street.
Seconds later, heavily armed police were shown on live television storming into the cafe. NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the officers were responding to gunfire inside the building.
Three people are dead. Two of those killed are hostages: a man, 34, and a woman, 38.
The lone gunman, Man Haron Monis, was also shot dead.
A total of 17 hostages had been held during the 16-hour ordeal.