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The Challenges of Democracy

And the Rule of Law

Jonathan Sumption

$24.99

Paperback

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English
Profile Books Ltd
04 December 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.
By:  
Imprint:   Profile Books Ltd
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Edition:   Main
Dimensions:   Height: 196mm,  Width: 128mm,  Spine: 20mm
Weight:   211g
ISBN:   9781805222521
ISBN 10:   180522252X
Pages:   256
Publication Date:  
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Primary ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Jonathan Sumption is a British judge and historian, who served as a Supreme Court Justice from 2012 - 2018. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller Trials of the State, Law in a Time of Crisis, and Divided Houses, which won the 2009 Wolfson History Prize.

Reviews for The Challenges of Democracy: And the Rule of Law

A timely red alert that democratic values cannot be taken for granted * The Times * It would be hard to find a better primer on what ails the transatlantic democracies... admirably clear... powerful.. a sharp legal mind * Financial 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 * A brilliant collection of essays. [Sumption is] one of the great legal minds of our age. Democracy and law need each other. Law has many defenders. Law has many defenders. Democracy has too few. We are fortunate indeed to have Sumption making the case for its defence. * Spectator * 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 * A well-written and thought provoking book which confirms its authors status as one of the most interesting... figures in British public life * Times Literary Supplement * 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 *


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