Oxford's largest estate is considering the idea of a community court, it has emerged.

Blackbird Leys Parish Council wants to raise the idea of a community justice project at its next meeting on Tuesday, May 25.

As part of the scheme, which is operating in 11 UK cities, judges or magistrates meet regularly with community members to find out about the effect of crime on their neighbourhoods, to make sure they understand local concerns.

The community can also suggest tasks that can be carried out by offenders who have been sentenced to carry out unpaid work.

Parish councillors were due to discuss the idea at their April meeting, but felt they had not been able to find enough information on the scheme.

Parish council chairman Gerry Webb said: “I think it is a good thing if you have got the community involved with genuine, responsible people who could be involved without repercussions to them.

“We need to have more information, we need someone to come who has seen it work already and find out how it works.

“If it means community involvement in the system then I think more people would probably be a bit more likely to come forward, knowing they were going to get results, as long as it’s not going to be a second jury service system.

“I think the community should have real input, it should mean something to the offenders and to the community that they are having a say.”

The idea began in New York and the first British community justice centre was set up in 2005. The Government’s justice department extended the scheme in 2006 and is trialling community court projects across the UK, including Cornwall, Birmingham and London.

Malcolm Anderson, parish council clerk, said councillors were told by the street wardens at March’s council meeting that community courts were being trialled throughout the country in consultation with the police and councils to set priorities for policing in their community.

He said: “The street wardens were surprised that Blackbird Leys had not been asked to be involved in the initial trial and wondered if it was something that the council would like to think about.”

Former Minister of Justice Lord Falconer said: “We need to do justice differently. Communities hit hard by crime want to see justice done in ways that connect more closely to the community.

“We need courts that are of the community, by the community and for the community.”

The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the possibility of community justice courts for Blackbird Leys because of General Election restrictions.