Tony Clarke, Baron Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony

Clarke was born in Ayr on 13 May 1943, to Harry and Isobel (née Kay) Clarke.^[3] The family later moved to Lincolnshire. He was educated at Oakham School.^[4] In 1957 the trial of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams first made him interested in pursuing a career in the law.^[5] He read Economics and Law at King's College, Cambridge.^[3]

Clarke was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1965. He developed a commercial and maritime law practice.

He became a Queen's Counsel in 1979, and was a Recorder sitting in both criminal and civil courts from 1985 to 1992. In 1993, Clarke became a High Court judge and, as is customary, was appointed a Knight Bachelor. He was allocated to the Queen's Bench Division and, in April 1993, he succeeded Mr Justice Sheen as the Admiralty Judge. He sat in the Admiralty Court, the Commercial Court and the Crown Court, trying commercial and criminal cases respectively.

Clarke was promoted to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales in 1998 and sworn of the privy council. Shortly thereafter, he led the Thames Safety Inquiry^[6] and in the following year the judicial inquiry into the Marchioness disaster. He was Master of the Rolls from 2005 until 2009.

On 15 April 2009, it was announced that he would be created a life peer,^[7] his appointment was gazetted on 29 May 2009^[8] with the title of Baron Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony, of Stone-cum-Ebony, in the County of Kent.^[9] He took his seat, as a crossbencher, in the House of Lords on 1 June 2009.^[10]

It was announced on 20 April 2009 that Clarke was to be appointed to the Supreme Court with effect from 1 October 2009.^[11] He retired from the Supreme Court in September 2017. From that point, he was then able to sit in the House of Lords, which he did until his retirement from the House on 14 September 2020.^[12]

A member of the Shipwrights' Company, Clarke was an Assistant from 2000 and Prime Warden for 2014–15.^{[citation needed]}

Clarke lived in Kent and London with his wife, Rosemary, née Adam, whom he married in 1968. They had three children—Ben, Thomas and Sally—and six grandchildren.^[3]

Clarke suffered from Alzheimer's disease in his later life. He died on 16 April 2026, at the age of 82.^[13][14]

Coat of arms of Tony Clarke, Baron Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony

Crest Emerging from rosemary foliage Proper a griffin's head erased and holding in the beak Gules a key in bend sinister the ward downwards Or. Escutcheon Or on a fess between three griffin's heads erased Gules a lion passant guardant dimidiating the hulk of an ancient ship Or. Motto Festina Lente (Diligently But Not Hurriedly)[15]

• Pennington v Waine
• OFT v Abbey National plc
• Autoclenz Ltd v Belcher

• Judicial titles in England and Wales