CRITICS of a centuries-old moorland order have been warned: hands off.

The steward of Danby court leet says people who attack the ancient society could risk harming the community it serves. Mr Christopher Goodway says he has been saddened by often negative publicity over the last year or so.

Instead of criticising, he said, people should take pride in an order which has survived down the centuries.

Mr Goodway spoke out at the court leet's annual manorial open day at Danby Castle last Thursday.

Since last year's event, the court has been under fire, mainly concerning the way jurymen are selected and its policy on women members.

At the 1999 open day, Danby resident Mr Peter Woods questioned the court leet's system of jury selection, its all-male membership and criticised secrecy surrounding the accounts and other issues.

He followed this with a bid to win backing for a major shake-up of the court from Danby Parish Council - a move resisted by the councillors.

Then earlier this year, North Yorkshire county Coun John Ritchie challenged what seemed to be a bar on women becoming jury members.

Court leet foreman Coun Herbert Tindall said women were welcome to be considered as jury members, but they would have to meet the same criteria as men.

Last Thursday, Mr Goodway said the court leet had had a lot of publicity and it was worth reflecting on its role in a modern society. Its origins were those of a manorial court whose function now was restricted to management of common land.

Technically speaking, it was still a court of law but its work was more administrative than legal. However, it was not without power as its decisions must be obeyed and were enforceable in a higher court of law.

The open day has three purposes: swearing in the jury; new tenants and freeholders taking the oath of fealty and commoners raising any issues of concern.

Mr Goodway said the court had six full meetings a year plus other sessions to sort out local problems.

"The jurymen deserve credit for their services to the community as unpaid volunteers," he said. "To an outsider these customs may seem archaic yet the court leet's work is still relevant and critically important in an area with thousands of acres of common land.

"Elsewhere, the management of common land is often a problem or non-existent without a court leet. Other forms of organisation do not always work. Common land gets neglected and goes into decay. The great advantage of the court leet is that the job is done enthusiastically and efficiently according to well-established customs.

"I feel sure the community of Danby benefits from having a court leet and should take pride that in a time of change they have managed to preserve these ancient traditions.

"In pursuing their own agendas, critics could be doing this community a great disservice."

Mr Woods endorsed the steward's comments about the work of the jurymen.

He disagree there had been significant criticism so much as relevant questions asked about the court leet's future.

"It is important the jury make-up and work is seen as squeaky clean. It is also important the court leet continues long into the future and I hope that is the case."

Mr Woods put two questions from the floor. He asked if the number of tenants to freeholders on the jury had a proper ratio to reflect the number of commoners at large.

Bailiff David Smith said: "The understanding is that there must be more freeholders as jurymen than tenants. That is a stipulation but there is no particular ratio."

Mr Woods also asked: "Can commoners be assured that all jurymen are resident and can exercise common rights?" Mr Goodway said all jurymen appeared to meet the criteria.

Coun Tindall said: "We take our oath seriously. It takes up a lot of time to keep an old tradition going.

"We still have a jury because of the way it is selected and not elected. If it had not been for this it would have gone years since. Some family names still link up because of a continued interest in being a jury member.

"We have been accused of being unfairly elected but you can't learn overnight how to do this job."

Coun Tindall said later he was happy with the way the meeting had gone. "Most people appreciate what we are doing. I hope all this criticism can now be laid to rest. We have had enough."