Law Council of Australia chief Morry Bailes believes it is "reprehensible" traffic fines in Victoria can cost more than the weekly Newstart allowance.
Mr Bailes insists there must be a shift away from the existing system for fines and levies, saying its design creates obvious disadvantage.
"A wealthy person can pay one of those fines, a person who is poor cannot," he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, pointing to the fact those in Western Australia could opt for prison time instead.
Mr Bailes also savaged a mentality of a "user-pays" model for court costs, saying access to justice and the courts ought to be part of the country's fabric.
"To think that governments, when it comes to people in poverty, where a transport fine in Victoria can be more than the Newstart allowance per week and what that will do to someone, is reprehensible," he said.
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