Description

‘Few contemporary Britons are as intelligent as Jonathan Sumption’ The Telegraph
‘A timely red alert that democratic values cannot be taken for granted’ The Times

NOW FEATURING A NEW ESSAY ON ISRAEL, GAZA AND INTERNATIONAL LAW

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

It would be hard to find a better primer on what ails the transatlantic democracies * Financial Times * A brilliant collection of essays… We are fortunate indeed to have Sumption making the case for democracy’s defence * Spectator * Well-written and thought provoking… confirms its authors status as one of the most interesting figures in British public life * Times Literary Supplement * A timely red alert that democratic values cannot be taken for granted * The Times * Jonathan Sumption is one of our foremost intellectuals… this book of essays demonstrates the breadth of his perceptions and the originality of his mind * Telegraph * Sumption brings legal expertise, a concern for the careful exercise of power and a weather eye for political, social and cultural faultlines to bear upon modern Britain * The Critic * Provocative, even dark, and very wise * Irish Times * In a world where rational debate and objective truth are dismissed by so many who influence our politics, Jonathan Sumption’s book is a refreshing joy. The rigour of his argument challenges and enlightens even where one disputes his conclusions * Country Life * An erudite book * The New European * 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 *