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.
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 *