Court of Aldermen

Last updated

City Court of Aldermen
Tim Berners-Lee Freedom of the City - 03.jpg
Aldermen (robed in scarlet) at Guildhall
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
Founded Time immemorial
Preceded by Court of Husting
Leadership
Alastair King
since 2024
Structure
Seats25 Aldermen
25 / 25
Meeting place
London Guildhall.jpg
Guildhall of London

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 or her 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 seven 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, approving the formation of new livery companies, [2] and appointing the Recorder of London.

Contents

History

It is probable that no definite account of the origin of the office of Alderman, or of the body known as the Court of Aldermen can ever be written for, and is likely that the office of the Aldermen of the City of London came into existence by a process of natural growth and development created by the necessities of the times. [3] The first possible mention of the court comes from 1200, 'fiveand-twenty of the more discreet men of the City' were 'sworn to take counsel on behalf of the City together with the Mayor', [4] although this could possibly be an early form of the London Common Council, as in 1200 there were only 24 wards. [5]

Term of office

Although there is no compulsion by law to do so, [6] [7] 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. [8]

List of current aldermen

Ward AldermanNotes
Aldersgate Christopher Makin
Aldgate Dame Susan Langley Sheriff 2023/24; Supported by the Court of Aldermen for election to office of Lord Mayor 2025/26
Bassishaw Tim Hailes Sheriff 2017/18; Supported by the Court of Aldermen for election to office of Lord Mayor 2026/27
Billingsgate Bronek Masojada Sheriff 2023/24; Supported by the Court of Aldermen for election to office of Lord Mayor 2027/28
Bishopsgate Kawsar Zaman
Bread Street Sir William Russell Sheriff 2016/17; Lord Mayor 2019/20 and 2020/21
Bridge and Bridge Without The Hon. Timothy Levene
Broad Street Michael Mainelli Sheriff 2019/20 and 2020/21; Lord Mayor 2023/24
Candlewick Emma Edhem
Castle Baynard Martha Grekos
Cheap Robert Hughes-Penney
Coleman Street Sir Peter Estlin Sheriff 2016/17; Lord Mayor 2018/19
Cordwainer Alexander Barr
Cornhill Robert Howard
Cripplegate Elizabeth King
Dowgate Alison GowmanSheriff 2021/22
Farringdon Within Vincent Keaveny Sheriff 2018/19; Lord Mayor 2021/22
Farringdon Without Gregory Jones KCSheriff 2024/25
Langbourn Simon Pryke
Lime Street Sir Charles Bowman Sheriff 2015/16; Lord Mayor 2017/18
Portsoken Prem Goyal
Queenhithe Alastair King Sheriff 2022/23; Lord Mayor 2024/25
Tower Sir 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

Related Research Articles

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council member elected by voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of London Corporation</span> English municipal governing body

The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's financial sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cripplegate</span> Ward of the City of London

Cripplegate was a gate in the London Wall which once enclosed the City of London, England.

The recorder of London is an ancient legal office in the City of London. The recorder of London is the senior circuit judge at the Central Criminal Court, hearing trials of criminal offences. The recorder is appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of the City of London Corporation with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor. The recorder's deputy is the Common Serjeant of London, appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor. The recorder of London is, since 14 April 2020, Mark Lucraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farringdon Without</span> Ward of the City of London

Farringdon Without is the most westerly ward of the City of London, England. Its suffix Without reflects its origin as lying beyond the City's former defensive walls. It was first established in 1394 to administer the suburbs west of Ludgate and Newgate, including West Smithfield and Temple. This was achieved by splitting the very large, pre-existing Farringdon Ward into two parts, Farringdon Within and Farringdon Without. The large and prosperous extramural suburb of Farringdon Without has been described as having been London's first West End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsoken</span> Ward of the City of London

Portsoken, traditionally referred to with the definite article as the Portsoken, is one of the City of London, England's 25 ancient wards, which are still used for local elections. Historically an extra-mural ward, lying east of the former London Wall, the area is sometimes considered to be part of the East End of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordwainer (ward)</span> Ward of the City of London

Cordwainer is a small, almost rectangular-shaped ward in the City of London, England. It is named after the cordwainers, the professional shoemakers who historically lived and worked in this particular area of London; there is a Livery Company for the trade — the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers. The ward is sometimes referred to as the "Cordwainers' ward".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheap (ward)</span> Ward of the City of London

Cheap is a small ward in the City of London, England. It stretches west to east from King Edward Street, the border with Farringdon Within ward, to Old Jewry, which adjoins Walbrook; and north to south from Gresham Street, the border with Aldersgate and Bassishaw wards, to Cheapside, the boundary with Cordwainer and Bread Street wards. The name Cheap derives from the Old English word "chep" for "market".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lime Street (ward)</span> Ward of the City of London

Lime Street is one of the 25 ancient wards of the City of London.

It is divided into four precincts; and it is worthy a remark that, though the ward includes parts of several parishes, there is not even a whole street in it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Baynard</span> Ward of the City of London

Castle Baynard is one of the 25 wards of the City of London, the historic and financial centre of London, England.

The Royal Commission on the Corporation of the City of London was a royal commission, established in 1853, which considered the local government arrangements of the City of London and the surrounding metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Town Clerk of London</span>

The Town Clerk of London is an important position that has existed since the 13th century in the City of London, England. Originally the role was to take the minutes of London council meetings, but over the years the holder's role has gathered responsibility, including staff and executive powers. Historically the incumbent received an annual fee of £10. This has risen to £244,000 in 2016/17, with 55% coming from the City Fund and 40% coming from the City's Cash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wards of the City of London</span> Special form of ward in the City of London

The City of London is divided into 25 wards. The city is the historic core of the much wider metropolis of Greater London, with an ancient and sui generis form of local government, which avoided the many local government reforms elsewhere in the country in the 19th and 20th centuries. Unlike other modern English local authorities, the City of London Corporation has two council bodies: the now largely ceremonial Court of Aldermen, and the Court of Common Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Wootton (lord mayor)</span> English lawyer and politician

Sir David Hugh Wootton is an English lawyer and politician. He was the 684th Lord Mayor of London, from 2011 to 2012, and is was Alderman of the Ward of Langbourn until 2nd November 2024, when he retired from the Court of Aldermen. .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Evans, 4th Baron Mountevans</span> British hereditary peer and politician (born 1948)

Jeffrey Richard de Corban Evans, 4th Baron Mountevans,, is a British hereditary peer and shipbroker, who served as Lord Mayor of London from 2015 to 2016.

Thomas Challis was a British businessman and Liberal Party politician who held office as a Member of Parliament and as Lord Mayor of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 City of London Corporation election</span> Elections to the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation on 22 March 2017

The 2017 City of London Corporation election took place on 23 March 2017 to elect members of the Court of Common Council in the City of London Corporation. The election was the first time apart from a 2014 by-election that partisan candidates were elected to the body. Fifteen of the hundred seats on the council were won by political parties: the newly created Temple & Farringdon Together party and the Labour Party.

Portsoken Ward is an electoral district in the City of London, England.. It returns an Alderman and four Councilmen to the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation.

The City of London Corporation elections occur regularly to provide the elected representatives who run the City of London Corporation.

Catherine Sidony McGuinness, serves Castle Baynard Ward as a Commoner since 1997, and is a former spokesperson for the City of London Corporation who chaired the Policy and Resources Committee of the Corporation of London as its de facto political leader, from 2017 to 2022.

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. Baddeley, John (1900). Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. p. 137.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  4. Fitz-Thedmar, Arnald. Liber de Antiquis Legibus[Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs of London]. p. 2.
  5. Round, John Horace (1899). The Commune of London. ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO. p. 241.
  6. "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.
  7. "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.
  8. "Alderman Postpones Date for His Re-Election".