The Court of Aldermen forms part of the senior governance of the City of London Corporation. It comprises twenty-five aldermen of the City of London, presided over by the Lord Mayor (becoming senior alderman during his year of office). The Court was originally responsible for the entire administration of the City, but most of its responsibilities were subsumed by the Court of Common Council in the fourteenth century. The Court of Aldermen meets nine times a year in the Aldermen's Court Room at Guildhall.[1] The few remaining duties of the Court include approving people for Freedom of the City and approving the formation of new livery companies,[2] appointing the Recorder of London and acting as the Verderers of Epping Forest.

Term of office

Although there is no compulsion by law to do so, [3][4] Aldermen usually submit themselves for re-election every six years and by custom retire at the age of 70. In 2020 David Graves declined to stand for re-election after six years as Alderman for Cripplegate, stating “given the current CV-19 concerns and limitations, I decided that to trigger a 42 ... day electoral process now would be inappropriate and unsuitable for the good conduct of a fair election.” He again deferred standing for re-election in 2021 for the same reason, triggering calls for the reform of the law relating to this election. [5]

List of current aldermen

Ward Alderman Notes
Aldersgate Christopher Makin
Aldgate Susan Langley OBE Sheriff 2023/24
Bassishaw Timothy Hailes Sheriff 2017/18
Billingsgate Bronek Masojada Sheriff 2023/24
Bishopsgate Kawsar Zaman
Bread Street Sir William Russell Sheriff 2016/17; Lord Mayor 2019/20 and 2020/21
Bridge and Bridge Without Timothy Levene
Broad Street Michael Mainelli Sheriff 2019/20 and 2020/21; Lord Mayor 2023/24
Candlewick Emma Edhem
Castle Baynard Ian Luder CBE Sheriff 2007/08; Lord Mayor 2008/09
Cheap Robert Hughes-Penney
Coleman Street Sir Peter Estlin Sheriff 2016/17; Lord Mayor 2018/19
Cordwainer Alexander Barr
Cornhill Robert Howard
Cripplegate Susan Pearson
Dowgate Alison Gowman Sheriff 2021/22
Farringdon Within Vincent Keaveny Sheriff 2018/19; Lord Mayor 2021/22
Farringdon Without Gregory Jones KC
Langbourn Sir David Wootton Sheriff 2009/10; Lord Mayor 2011/12
Lime Street Sir Charles Bowman Sheriff 2015/16; Lord Mayor 2017/18
Portsoken Prem Goyal OBE
Queenhithe Alastair King Sheriff 2022/23
Tower Nicholas Lyons Sheriff 2021/22; Lord Mayor 2022/23
Vintry Sir Andrew Parmley Sheriff 2014/15; Lord Mayor 2016/17
Walbrook Jennette Newman

See also

References

  1. ^ "How the City of London works". Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  2. ^ http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Council_and_democracy/Councillors_democracy_and_elections/appointment_process.htm#alderman[dead link]
  3. ^ "Report – Policy & Resources Committee in consultation with the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen, Bill for an Act of Common Council: Aldermanic Eligibility" (PDF). cityoflondon.gov.uk. The City of London. 25 April 2013.
  4. ^ "The Court of Common Council - London Metropolitan Archives, Information Leaflet Number 13" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Alderman Postpones Date for His Re-Election".