A suspended warrant for Bruce Lehrmann's arrest has been issued, while his lawyer copped a dressing down after the pair were no-shows in court over a car-stealing charge.
The former political staffer was listed to appear in Hobart Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.
He faces arrest unless he sends a medical certificate to court and then attends, along with his Sydney solicitor Zali Burrows, a delayed hearing on December 4.
Magistrate Robert Webster made clear his frustration at the duo's failure to appear for a preliminary hearing known as a contest mention.
Police prosecutor Bunewat Keo said he was ready to proceed and raised the prospect of a warrant for Lehrmann's arrest.
Mr Webster said email correspondence suggested Ms Burrows "doesn't understand the purpose of this court at all".
Ms Burrows had earlier told Mr Webster via email Lehrmann was "not available today due to urgent medical issues slash tests", while seeking an adjournment.
The magistrate opted to stand the matter down for three hours while attending to other business, before reaching Ms Burrows by phone.
"I don't know why it didn't come through," she said.
The frustrated magistrate replied: "We tried twice."
"Let me just tell you what contest mention is about," he said.
"It is clear to me ... you didn't understand what is happening today.
"People who come to contest mention can ... lay your cards on the table and speak frankly about the prospects of success."
An impasse was reached as Mr Webster said he "would never conduct one of these on the telephone", while Ms Burrows said she was unable to access prosecution details because they were password protected.
Mr Webster resolved the matter by issuing the warrant, but ordering it lie in court un-acted, unless two conditions were met.
"What I require is a medical certificate from a doctor excusing him for the medical conditions outlined in the email," he said.
He told Ms Burrows Lehrmann needed to appear on December 4 or he would be arrested.
Mr Keo said police had a "strong prima facie case" Lehrmann stole a Toyota Prado at remote Mountain River in southern Tasmania on November 20, 2024.
The car owner and her family, a service station worker and five police officers are expected to give evidence in the case, expected to take four days.
At a previous hearing, Ms Burrows signalled she would challenge the Prado owner's statement to police on the grounds it was different to assertions made in media interviews.
Lehrmann, a former Liberal staffer, has been the subject of various court matters since a 2019 alleged rape of then-colleague Brittany Higgins at parliament house.
While a trial was abandoned in 2022 because of juror misconduct, the Federal Court in 2024 found on the balance of probabilities the rape did occur, dismissing his defamation suit against Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson.
Lehrmann has appealed the defamation loss.