Victoria's overcrowded jails and police cells are an entirely predictable problem caused by the state government, a legal group says.
Police, magistrates, the state opposition and even those facing charges have expressed outrage over on-going court delays.
But Fiona McLeod, chair of the Victorian Bar, says the problem reached breaking point because pre-existing pressures on prisons weren't dealt with and the government then introduced a tough on crime agenda.
"Police and the prison system are unable to cope with the surge in numbers," she said.
She called on the government to study the impact of any new law before it is passed so the effects and real cost of law reforms are known ahead of time.
"Law and order cannot be delivered by targeting just one aspect of the system," she said.
Attorney-General Robert Clark said weekend court sittings are being scheduled while new prison places are constructed, with the government, corrections and police working together.
"Weekend sittings of the magistrates court are one of the proposed initiatives that have arisen as a result of that collaboration," Mr Clark said.
The police union says the problem has become a safety issue with inmates being kept in cramped cells and police taken off the beat to look after them.
Costs have also been awarded against Corrections Victoria in cases where prisoners have not been brought to court, including a $2300 order made on Wednesday because a defendant was not taken to court on the first day of his murder committal hearing.
Corrections Victoria says temporary accommodation is being created at prisons to help ease the backlog, while prisoners may appear in court via videolink where possible.
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