Residents took the opportunity to use a traditional Southampton ceremony to voice their concerns about issues in the city.
The court leet ceremony returned to the council chamber at the Civic Centre on Tuesday, September 30.
This year’s instalment of the historical event was overseen by current Sheriff of Southampton Cllr Pat Evemy, who took on the role of foreman of the jury.
Residents were invited to submit presentments to put before the court’s jury, which was made up of honorary aldermen, past mayors and sheriffs, and representatives of local organisations and the community.
While the majority of submissions were allowed and accepted by the jury, one was deemed not suitable for consideration to be put to the council.
Steward of the manor of court leet Sarita Riley, council deputy monitoring officer, said after a legal review she did not believe the presentment relating to leasehold charges met the criteria for the court to consider it.
The item was described as a “private legal matter” that would be better addressed elsewhere.
Cllr Evemy said: “Obviously, it is important that people are able to raise issues with the council but you need to do it in the most appropriate forum.
“If it can be immediately directed to the most relevant place for dealing with because it is a personal matter then I think that is the way forward.”
The accepted presentments at this year’s court leet included matters relating to a riverside path near the Northam Bridge, Mayflower Park, local signage in Woolston and a plan for purpose-built student accommodation buildings in the city.
These matters will now be considered by the council’s cabinet, with formal responses given in the coming months.
Before closing the ceremony, Cllr Evemy said: “Thank you to everybody for coming. It is an ancient ceremony.”
She also thanked pupils from the Polygon School who supported the ceremony.
Cllr Evemy added: “You never know in 20 years’ time they could be sitting there as councillors and running the city for us.”
Before court leet, the Sheriff of Southampton carried out “beating the bounds” at one of the city’s borders.
Southampton holds the two ceremonies on the first Tuesday after Michaelmas, September 29.
“Beating the bounds” returned in 1957 after a gap of more than 100 years.
Hundreds of years ago, court leet was a royal court where freemen met to deal with minor local criminal cases and raise other matters of concern.
Later, it joined with the manorial court which dealt with the use of common fields and pastures.
Many of these courts disappeared over time, but Southampton’s remained serving as an opportunity for residents to raise local matters which might not usually come to the attention of the city council.
