Judge Coolahan said the second-hand air-conditioning system had failed hundreds of times during his 101/2 years on the bench and he couldn't imagine how much money had been spent trying to fix it.

The district courtroom itself was air-conditioned, but Judge Coolahan said his chambers, as well as local courts 5 and 6, had been without air-conditioning all week.

Pedestal fans and a portable air-conditioner operated at top speed again yesterday in Court 5 as they did on Monday and Tuesday.

Solicitor Nicolas Moir was taken to hospital on Tuesday after fainting in Court 5.

He was back at work yesterday.

"It doesn't matter whether it's the courts, the police or Legal Aid, Newcastle is treated like a second-class citizen every time," Mr Moir said.

Mr Moir is also the convenor of a pro bono scheme where people who appear in bail courts on weekends are represented by solicitors who volunteer their time.

"Gosford, Parramatta Legal Aid pays for solicitors there, but in Newcastle the [weekend] bail courts are manned by pro bono lawyers," Mr Moir said.

Despite the Attorney-General's promise that technicians would work on Tuesday night to fix the air-conditioning, Court 5 was just as hot and stuffy yesterday.

Judge Coolahan adjourned the sentencing of two armed robbers until today because he was unable to concentrate in his chambers and finish his remarks on sentence.

A spokesman for Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said the latest fault was found after the installation of a new inverter card. It would require work tonight to install a new compressor.

In the meantime, technicians had devised a way of having the air-conditioning to operate close to capacity.

"This incident is regrettable, and underlines the importance of the Government's plans to move ahead with planning for a new courthouse," he said.

The spokesman said Legal Aid's Newcastle office was the second largest in the state.

Where a person was charged and eligible for Legal Aid, it would be provided for hearings.

Newcastle MP Jodi McKay said she was continuing to fight for a new justice precinct, as the air-conditioning was "only one of the reasons" why the courthouse was a "completely out-of-date facility".