Defence lawyers say the fresh Supreme Court blitz is a Band-Aid solution, fraught with problems and unfair to the accused.
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The court announced the initiative, Pilot Central Criminal Listing, earlier in November in an attempt to slash the backlog that has plagued it for years.
All four judges will hear the high number of trials over seven weeks from February to April.
The ''mini-blitz'' will aim to mimic the success of 2012's effort, which cut through one-fifth of outstanding criminal cases.
Preparations began with a massive call-over list on Friday, when more than 84 defendants were arraigned, entered pleas and assigned a trial date.
Lawyers and clients were greeted at the courtroom door by a sheriff behind a desk, ready to enter pleas in advance.
Chief Justice Helen Murrell presided over the packed courtroom, and reminded people about discounts for guilty pleas.
But most defendants chose to take their chances at trial.
Defence lawyer Ben Aulich, whose firm represents 12 matters in the mini-blitz, said the project was a short-term fix.
''Whilst the chief justice should be commended for her efforts to rid the Supreme Court of a large backlog of cases, this will not be done effectively until the Attorney-General bites the bullet and appoints a fifth judge,'' he said.
Mr Aulich said the rush meant some defendants could not have counsel of their choice because barristers were double-booked in the mini-blitz.
Michael Kukulies-Smith, of Kamy Saeedi Lawyers, said a number of his clients had been forced to change barristers due to double bookings.
''This is regrettable for those who will now experience stress and incur additional costs as a result,'' he said.