It has led to a reduction in the number of cases before the Magistrates Court, but court sources say the reduction is so steep it could end up having the opposite effect, with an influx of offences to inundate the under-pressure judiciary once the fines system is back online. Criminal listings dropped by 7 per cent across the state last financial year because of it, according to the Magistrates Court of Victoria annual report released on Thursday, and in the Melbourne Magistrates Court alone there was a 21 per cent dive. CityLink fines reduced by 75 per cent and speeding fines by 38 per cent. “The delayed infringement-related matters are expected to return to the court once Fines Victoria finally resolves the outstanding issues, and planning is well-advanced to manage this process,” the annual report stated. A spokeswoman for the Magistrates Court of Victoria said fines should start to return to court lists next year, once collection statements are sent out.

“We continue to work with Fines Victoria to ensure these outstanding matters can be resolved as quickly as possible,” she said. It was revealed last month that a $330 million hole was left in the state budget because fines have not been collected. Sheriffs have not been able to enforce warrants because the IT system is not working, while some Victorians found out for the first time they owed money when they received final demand notices. Meanwhile, outgoing Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen has used his final annual report to express frustration at the number of accused criminals not showing up for their cases because they are locked in police cells away from court. Mr Lauritsen, who retires this week, said soaring numbers of people in custody were stretching the capacity of police cells across the state. Outgoing Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen

He said despite a "massive increase" in the number of unsentenced prisoners in custody in the past six years, the capacity of cells to truck these people to court had not improved. Loading "Despite the introduction of many measures, legislative and administrative, the issue persists, although at a reduced level from the high points reached in 2013," Mr Lauritsen said. The state’s courts are also dealing with record numbers of accused offenders being stuck behind bars as years of tightening bail laws continue to bite. The government tightened the laws in 2017 and again in 2018 after the revelation that James Gargasoulas had been released on bail only a few days before driving a car along Bourke Street Mall, killing six people and injuring another 30.