A plan to ban the homeless from camping in Melbourne's CBD has been abandoned over fears the move could leave the council open to lengthy legal challenges.

Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle revealed on Tuesday he had received advice repeating what legal and homelessness experts had been telling the council for months: that the ban could infringe on people's human rights.

Law firm Maddocks found outlawing camping could restrict people's right to move freely in Victoria and also "conceivably" result in cruel or degrading treatment or punishment.

Cr Doyle said this advice meant it was far from assured that the proposed bylaw would be compatible with Victoria's Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.