A Sydney lawyer who has previously been involved in the Wood royal commission into New South Wales police corruption is being brought in to fight a charge of failing to state name and address to police in Hobart.

The Magistrates Court in Hobart heard 54-year-old Sydney dental technician Nickolas Prieston has engaged Sydney lawyer Andrew Kostopoulos to fight the relatively minor charge that carries with it a maximum penalty of $1,540.

Mr Kostopoulos has acted as a lawyer in a number of Government inquiries into police corruption in New South Wales.

Prieston was charged with failing to state name and address to police in Hobart in April this year.

He has been competing in Targa Tasmania for about 15 years and was in a group of competitors in Hobart's wharf precinct when one of them was allegedly detected by a sniffer dog and searched.

The search found nothing.

But police allege Prieston obstructed them in their duties and refused to give them his details.

Prieston denies he obstructed police and is arguing he therefore was under no obligation to give police his details.

Prosecution has 'an appetite for the fight'

Prieston was not in the magistrates court when the matter was mentioned on his behalf by Hobart lawyer Steven Chopping and a plea of not guilty entered.

Mr Chopping asked for a date to take the matter to hearing, saying Mr Kostopoulos would be travelling to Hobart to represent Prieston.

A senior NSW barrister charges about $600 an hour.

Magistrate Sam Mollard commented "there must be plenty of money" in being a dental technician.

"Clearly, he's able to get his teeth into [it], yes," Mr Chopping replied.

Police prosecution said they were not willing to drop the matter.

"Prosecution services have got an appetite for the fight," Magistrate Mollard said.

Witnesses called by both parties

The court heard police would call two witnesses and that Prieston had also subpoenaed witnesses on his behalf.

Mr Chopping asked the court for a date in October when Mr Kostopoulos would be free to travel to Hobart for the hearing, which is expected to take two-and-a-half hours.

"We wouldn't get such a short hearing date interstate ... perhaps this is why," Mr Chopping said.

Magistrate Mollard appeared to agree, saying: "I rarely feel sorry for my interstate colleagues."

Mr Kostopoulos has been involved in a number of public inquiries, including the 1994-1997 Wood Royal Commission into corruption in the NSW Police Service and Police Integrity Commission and the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

A matter will be heard on October 21.