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An English man has made the ancient Norman plea for justice, alleging deeds which would see his late father’s estate passed to him are not being upheld.
Stephen Chilcott has been locked into a dispute over the Jerbourg property for more than a decade and the matter has come before the local courts on multiple occasions.
He has now attempted to escalate the case by invoking the Clameur - a 10th century injunction still active in the Channel Islands - by getting down onto one knee and, in front of witnesses, he called out: “Haro! Haro! Haro! À l’aide, mon Prince, on me fait tort”. (Hear me! Hear me! Hear me! Come to my aid, my Prince, for someone does me wrong).
He then recited the Lord’s Prayer in French to complete the process.
Watch: Mr Chilcott inciting the Clameur.
Mr Chilcott had 24 hours to make a formal submission to the Greffe, before it is considered whether there is prima-facie evidence to validate the claim. The 24 hours will pass at midday on Friday.
According to the rite, the individual must be the owner of the land for at least a year and a day in order to invoke.
Mr Chilcott believes he is the rightful heir of the St. Martins property which automatically passed to him as the survivor of his father upon his death in 2008.
Previous court judgements suggest that his ownership claims have no legal basis.
He told reporters, however, that he fears that local conveyance deeds are being ignored, and he rejects the findings of the court thus far.
Pictured: States deputies exited the Royal Court for lunch while the Clameur was being invoked.
Another civil hearing relating to the case is due to be held in a few weeks.
The last judgement handed down relating to the case was in December 2022. It can be read HERE.
The last time the Clameur was raised in Guernsey was in 2018.
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