The lengthy court delays - stretching from a brutal double murder in 2008 to the resolution of an appeal just over a month ago - were a constant aggravation of their grief and horror.

Now, with the Assembly expected to block the opposition's push to install a fifth ACT Supreme Court judge one day before the 50th anniversary of its sitting, they have spoken out for change.

Jane Williams was Ms Tattersall's closest friend, and warned her about Scott Alexander McDougall just hours before he murdered her and Struan Bolas with a meat cleaver and tried to burn down the house containing their bodies.

Ms Williams, who is haunted by the killing every day of her life, has a message for Attorney-General Simon Corbell over the government's refusal to appoint a fifth judge.

''My first thought - and it's a terrible, terrible thing to say - was if he could wear my shoes for a day, and it was somebody in his family … he would have as many judges as it would take to clear up the system,'' she said.

Mr Corbell agreed delays were unacceptable, but said the court's workload did not warrant a fifth judge, and said the problems lay with inefficient use of resources.

The government and Greens minister Shane Rattenbury back other reforms to deal with the problem, including a new docketing system, new court registry arrangements, the expansion of the ACT Magistrates Court jurisdiction, and last year's 12 week blitz on the case backlog.

But the effects of those reforms come too late for Ms Tattersall's family.

Ms Tattersall's sister Belinda Tattersall described the five year court battle as ''excruciating'', and an ''emotional roller-coaster''. ''The ACT needs a extra judge to make sure no other family endures such a lengthy court process like we have suffered,'' she said.

''The court system needs to be looked at and completely overhauled.''

She also called for a dedicated homicide victims support unit, similar to that which exists in NSW, to help families of murder victims through the extended court process, and the long periods of grief and psychological trauma.

And her calls have significant backing from the legal fraternity.

Chief Justice Terence Higgins has repeatedly expressed the need for an expanded bench, as has the ACT Bar Association and the ACT Law Society.

ACT Bar Association president Greg Stretton, SC, said the association strongly supported shadow attorney-general Zed Seselja's proposal, which would ''undoubtedly alleviate the pressures and delays currently experienced by the court''.

Mr Seselja said previous blitzes had failed to provide long-term relief to the ACT Supreme Court, and said a fifth judge was now the only solution.

The opposition will introduce amendments to the Supreme Court Act into the Assembly on Wednesday to again push the issue of a fifth judge, just six weeks after its motion to secure support for an expanded bench failed.

''For years now the Attorney-General has failed to listen to the numerous complaints made about the delays in our court system,'' Mr Seselja said.

''The backlog is not only causing serious concern for hundreds of Canberrans as their lives are turned upside down while they wait for the long-delayed results, but there are also significant costs to local businesses when judgments are delayed for years.''

But Mr Corbell said the opposition was trying to ''stand in the shoes of the executive government'', saying it was bad policy for the Assembly to try to mandate a minimum level of court resources.

He said the ACT must drive efficiency through the court, rather than simply giving the system unnecessary resources.

''We can't take the easy way out, we need to tackle the hard questions of reform, better practice and procedure in the court, and that's my commitment,'' he said.

The amendments to the Supreme Court Act will be introduced on Wednesday, as the Supreme Court prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary of sitting in its current building.