Just days after the building's troublesome air-conditioning was repaired, the District Court's first sitting of 2010 was only minutes old when Judge Coolahan adjourned it.

"There's clearly a dead rat in my chambers again, the smell of which is simply revolting," the judge said.

He said it was impossible to work while the dead animal continued to decay in or near his chambers.

The judge said a similar incident happened last year, but he had been assured the problem was fixed.

He adjourned a sexual assault trial that was due to start yesterday to today, but warned that he would not work until the problem was rectified.

Other court staff said the smell was enough to induce vomiting and that a contractor was still looking for the dead animal yesterday afternoon.

Dead vermin are just some of the building's problems.

Faulty air-conditioning has at times left court staff and members of the public sweltering. In December, a solicitor had to be taken to hospital after fainting due to the heat.

Judge Coolahan said then that the courthouse's second-hand air-conditioning system had broken down hundreds of times during his 101/2 years on the bench.

Last week the air-conditioning was broken again for three days.

The legal profession room has been permanently locked as it has been condemned and part of the ceiling near the courthouse's main entrance fell through last year.

Newcastle Bar Association president Peter Harper suggested the rat may have died from heat exhaustion last week.

"If it was an isolated incident maybe it would be different, but that's not the case," he said.

"How can we expect judicial officers to work in these conditions."

A Department of Justice and Attorney General spokeswoman said the department was "working to identify the source of the problem and remedy the issue".

"Our first priority is the health, safety and amenity of all court users," the spokeswoman said.