The Assessment Sub-Panel of the Panel of Independent Persons met on Tuesday 26 May 2026. The meeting was scheduled to discuss the City of London Corporation's procedures for handling complaints made against its members, including the process for assessing these complaints and the potential for anonymity requests.

Members' Code of Conduct and Complaints Procedure

The sub-panel was scheduled to review the City of London Corporation's procedures for dealing with complaints made against its members, as outlined in the document How Complaints Submitted to the City of London Corporation Relating to the Member Code of Conduct Will Be Dealt With . This procedure, established under the Localism Act 2011, details how written allegations of breaches of the member code of conduct are investigated and decided upon.

The procedure outlines a multi-stage process involving an Assessment Panel, a Hearing Panel, and an Appeal Panel, all comprised of Independent Persons. The Assessment Panel's role is to initially review complaints to determine if they meet admissibility tests and to consider assessment criteria such as the seriousness of the alleged conduct and potential for malicious motivation. The panel can recommend no action, alternative actions like training or mediation, a formal investigation, or referral directly to the Hearing Panel.

The report pack also details the process for handling confidentiality and requests for anonymity, noting that a complainant's identity is usually disclosed to the subject member unless there are exceptional circumstances. It also explains the pre-complaint protocol for member-against-member complaints and the various sanctions available for breaches of the code of conduct, which include censure, withdrawal of hospitality, and removal from committees.

Consideration of Request for Anonymity

A significant item on the agenda was the Alleged Breach of the Members' Code of Conduct - Consideration of Request for Anonymity . This indicates that the sub-panel was scheduled to discuss a specific complaint where the complainant may have requested to remain anonymous. The report pack details the circumstances under which anonymity might be granted, emphasizing that it is typically only in exceptional cases, such as where the complainant fears harm or detriment if their identity is disclosed. The Assessment Panel would consider such requests as a preliminary matter.

The meeting was also scheduled to include public and non-public questions relating to the work of the sub-panel, as well as any other urgent business the chair considered appropriate. The public were to be excluded from the non-public agenda items due to the likely disclosure of exempt information.