A member of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy has lost his bid to have charges over the theft of the coat of arms from Old Parliament House dismissed.

Kevin Buzzacott is alleged to have taken the coat of arms on Australia Day last year.

Buzzacott says the emu and kangaroo are sacred and Aboriginal people never granted permission to use them on the coat of arms.

"People have to understand that our sacred animals cannot be used in that manner," he said.

But the court has refused the application, saying it has a practice of not interfering in criminal matters being considered by other courts.

The ACT Magistrates Court is expected to hear the case in June.