Why Man Haron Monis was free on bail at the time of the Sydney Siege at Lindt Cafe will be examined on Monday as the inquest into the attack re-starts.

Over the next two weeks, the inquest will also investigate the relationship that Monis, 50, had with cultural groups, terrorism and guns.

Counsel assisting the inquiry, Jeremy Gormly, said on Monday the issue of Monis’ bail conditions may seem a simple one.

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“However straight forward it may seem, it simply isn’t,” he told the inquest in his opening statement.

“The bail story of Mr Monis is long and complex. No one can predict what a person charged with an offence will do on bail, but good attempts must be made.”

He said the inquest must take into account the “practicalities of the bail system” and that not every person awaiting trial can be incarcerated.

The inquest has previously heard the Iranian-born asylum seeker took staff and customers at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place hostage on December 15, 2014, telling them “this is an attack, I have a bomb”.

The siege ended about 17 hours later when Monis forced cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, to kneel, before shooting him in the head with a sawn-off shotgun.

In the years leading up to his siege on the Lindt Cafe, Monis was bailed on several occasions for 43 charges of sexual assault, and being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.

Another hostage, Katrina Dawson, 38, also died during the siege. Monis was shot dead by police.

The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions last week successfully applied to have dozens of documents and emails relating to the gunman’s bail withheld from the inquest.

– with ABC