The Court of Aldermen meeting scheduled for 12 May 2026 was to review the minutes of its previous meeting, consider applications for the Freedom of the City, and discuss a report from the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen concerning charity governance.

Applications for the Freedom of the City

A significant portion of the meeting was scheduled to be dedicated to considering applications for the Freedom of the City. The Chamberlain was to present a list of 173 individuals for admission to this historic honour. The report pack details the names, occupations, addresses, and associated Livery Companies of each applicant. These individuals come from a wide range of professions, including IT consultants, solicitors, academics, engineers, and business leaders, reflecting the diverse connections to the City of London.

Report of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen

The Court was scheduled to consider recommendations from its General Purposes Committee regarding the governance of Aldermanic charities. This discussion was to focus on the adoption of an internal governance and policy framework for these charities, aligning with the approach previously approved by the Court of Common Council in January 2026 as part of the Strengthening Charity Governance programme. The report indicated that the General Purposes Committee had already approved the application of this framework to the Emanuel Hospital Charity and endorsed its principles for other Aldermanic charities.

The report pack stated:

The Court of Aldermen considered recommendations of its General Purposes Committee regarding the adoption of an aligned internal governance and policy framework for charities within the remit of this Honourable Court, consistent with the approach approved by the Court of Common Council in January 2026 under the Strengthening Charity Governance programme.

The scheduled resolution was:

That this Court, in discharging their duties for the City of London Corporation as charity trustee, endorse the general approach to charity governance for charities within its remit, noting that detailed charity‑specific decisions have been, and will continue to be, taken by its General Purposes Committee or other relevant trustee bodies as appropriate.

Resolutions on Retirements, Congratulatory Resolutions, and Memorials

The meeting was also scheduled to address resolutions concerning retirements, congratulatory matters, and memorials. This agenda item typically involves formal acknowledgements and tributes. The report pack specifically mentioned the result of a Wardmote held on 5 February 2026 for the Election of an Alderman for the Ward of Coleman Street, and the subsequent presentation of Alderman-Elect Sushil Saluja to the Court.

Minutes of the Last Court

A procedural item on the agenda was the question of whether the minutes of the previous Court of Aldermen meeting, held on 3 February 2026, were correctly recorded. The report pack indicated that these minutes were to be presented for confirmation.