Description

‘A timely red alert that democratic values cannot be taken for granted’ The Times
‘Incisive and eloquent’ The Telegraph

A TIMES TOP LEGAL READ 2025

Across the globe, democracy is in crisis – in the UK alone, it has been rocked by Brexit, the pandemic and successive attempts by governments to bypass legal norms. But how did this happen, and where might we go from here?

Jonathan Sumption cuts through the political noise with acute analysis of the state of democracy today – from the vulnerabilities of international law to the deepening suppression of democracy activism in Hong Kong, and from the complexities of human rights legislation to the defence of freedom of speech. Timely, incisive and wholly original, Challenges of Democracy applies the brilliance of ‘the cleverest man in Britain’ to the most urgent and far-reaching political issue of our day.

Publisher Review

A timely red alert that democratic values cannot be taken for granted * The Times * Praise for Law in a Time of Crisis: Thoughtful, stimulating and even entertaining … Lord Sumption’s opinion is always worth listening to, even – or especially – if one disagrees with it — Telegraph * Robert Tombs * Any person of broadly liberal instinct will find much in this enjoyable book to agree with and much that can improve one’s way of thinking and of making an argument — Daniel Finkelstein * The Times * Sumption has always been more than just a lawyer … a true Renaissance man — David Runciman * Guardian *