The essential humanity of a fine senior judge | Letter

Jeremy Morgan KC describes an encounter between a drug pusher and the late Anthony Clarke I was sad to read of the death of the senior judge Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony (Obituary, 27 April) and even sadder to learn that he had suffered from Alzheimer’s. Your readers might be interested in an incident that shows the essential humanity of the man. When he was master of the rolls, he was invited to a dinner by the Manchester Law Society. On his way back to the hotel after the dinner, he was accosted by a man who emerged from the shadows and asked: “Would you like some speed, or some coke?” This offer was politely declined. “How about Viagra then?” the man then asked. But he had no more success with that, and the master of the rolls continued his journey to the hotel. What the man never realised was that he was at the same time both the unluckiest and the luckiest pusher in England. Unlucky because he had tried to sell drugs to the second most senior judge in the country, but lucky because the reaction of that judge was not to instantly summon the police. Jeremy Morgan KCSpoleto, Italy Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it