Judges and lawyers have chastised "unfounded, grossly improper and unfair" comments by senior Turnbull ministers about the sentencing of terrorists in Victorian courts.
But Health Minister Greg Hunt and Human Services Minister Alan Tudge have shrugged off rebukes of their blistering attack and are refusing to back down.
Mr Hunt said Victorian judges made "deeply concerning" comments during an appeal hearing for a convicted terrorist on Friday and accused the court of becoming a forum for "ideological experiments".
The comments made by senior Supreme Court judges concerned apparent differences between the NSW and Victorian judiciaries when imposing sentences for terror offences.
Mr Hunt told The Australian the judges were "endorsing and embracing shorter sentences" and urged Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to immediately reject their statements.
Justice Robert Beech-Jones, president of the Judicial Conference of Australia which represents judges and magistrates, said the comments were a slur on the Victorian judiciary.
Justice Beech-Jones warned the comments threatened to undermine public confidence in the courts.
"The statements attributed to the ministers are deeply troubling. They represent a threat to the rule of law. They should never have been made," Justice Beech-Jones said.
Law Council president Fiona McLeod urged an end to the "very worrying trend" of political attacks on the judiciary, especially on matters before the courts.
"Commenting on a matter that is currently before the courts could be perceived by members of the public as an attempt to influence the outcome and interfere with the court process," Ms McLeod said.
But Mr Hunt stood by his comments, saying he was deeply concerned to ensure a strong, nationally consistent regime against terror.
Mr Hunt said the Victorian Labor government was "dangerously weak" on law and order.
"What they have done of course with the parole laws is seen widely by the community as unacceptable," he said.
"What they have done with their laxity on gangs is widely seen as unacceptable and I hope that no state and no state system will take a common view against strong consistent national laws."
Mr Tudge rejected suggestions he over-stepped the mark and risked interfering with the judicial system.
"(Victorians) are fed up with people who are getting out on parole. They're fed up with sometimes what appears to be very lenient sentences, and lenient compared to what are given in NSW," he said.
"I think the Australian people frankly don't think we can be tough enough on terrorists."
Mr Tudge said Victorians expected Premier Daniel Andrews, the courts and the parole board to take terror "absolutely, fundamentally seriously".
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