{"id":13240,"date":"2025-12-21T07:23:46","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T07:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=13240"},"modified":"2025-12-21T11:37:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T11:37:11","slug":"lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Lord Jonathan Sumption on the American Constitution: Why Checks and Balances Are Failing Democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"abstract\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Former_UK_Supreme_Court_Justices_Stark_Warning_on_Constitutional_Failure\"><\/span>A Former UK Supreme Court Justice\u2019s Stark Warning on Constitutional Failure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this incisive constitutional analysis, Lord Jonathan Sumption, former Justice of the UK Supreme Court, delivers a stark critique of the United States Constitution and its ability to govern a deeply polarised society. He argues that a constitution\u2019s true purpose is not rigid legal supremacy, but the practical accommodation of disagreement through functioning democratic institutions. Examining legislative paralysis, judicial dominance, constitutional rigidity, and the erosion of shared political culture, Lord Sumption warns that America\u2019s constitutional design works only in periods of stability and falters in times of stress. His intervention raises urgent questions about democratic accountability, judicial supremacy, and whether a constitution that cannot evolve can endure in an era of intense political division.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#A_Former_UK_Supreme_Court_Justices_Stark_Warning_on_Constitutional_Failure\" >A Former UK Supreme Court Justice\u2019s Stark Warning on Constitutional Failure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#A_Fundamental_Question_About_Constitutional_Purpose\" >A Fundamental Question About Constitutional Purpose<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#What_a_Constitution_Is_Meant_to_Do\" >What a Constitution Is Meant to Do<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#Americas_Extreme_Polarisation_Problem\" >America\u2019s Extreme Polarisation Problem<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#Institutional_Paralysis_A_System_Jammed_from_Within\" >Institutional Paralysis: A System Jammed from Within<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#Judicial_Power_Without_Democratic_Escape\" >Judicial Power Without Democratic Escape<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#When_Shared_Political_Culture_Collapses\" >When Shared Political Culture Collapses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#Historical_Echoes_of_Constitutional_Breakdown\" >Historical Echoes of Constitutional Breakdown<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#The_Problem_of_Constitutional_Rigidity\" >The Problem of Constitutional Rigidity<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#As_a_Result\" >As a Result<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#The_Supreme_Court_as_a_Political_Actor\" >The Supreme Court as a Political Actor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#A_Constitution_That_Works_Only_in_Good_Times\" >A Constitution That Works Only in Good Times<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#A_Final_Unsettling_Verdict\" >A Final, Unsettling Verdict<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#Why_This_Speech_Matters_Today\" >Why This Speech Matters Today<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#Can_a_Constitution_Survive_if_It_Cannot_Evolve\" >Can a Constitution Survive if It Cannot Evolve?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/lord-jonathan-sumption-on-the-american-constitution-why-checks-and-balances-are-failing-democracy\/#Lawyers_In_United_Kingdom\" >Lawyers In United Kingdom<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-fundamental-question-about-constitutional-purpose\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Fundamental_Question_About_Constitutional_Purpose\"><\/span>A Fundamental Question About Constitutional Purpose<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In a powerful and unsettling address, Lord Jonathan Sumption, former Justice of the UK Supreme Court and distinguished legal historian, delivered a searing critique of the American constitutional system. Speaking not as a partisan, but as a constitutional theorist, Lord Sumption posed a fundamental question: What is the purpose of a constitution\u2014and is the United States Constitution still capable of fulfilling it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His answer was as blunt as it was thought-provoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-a-constitution-is-meant-to-do\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_a_Constitution_Is_Meant_to_Do\"><\/span>What a Constitution Is Meant to Do<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At its core, Lord Sumption argued, a constitution is not merely a legal document. It is a framework of rules and political practices designed to enable collective decision-making in a divided society. Its true purpose is to accommodate differences\u2014of opinion, belief, ideology, and interest\u2014so that citizens can coexist within a single political community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A constitution succeeds not when everyone agrees, but when disagreement can still be resolved through functioning institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"americas-extreme-polarisation-problem\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Americas_Extreme_Polarisation_Problem\"><\/span>America\u2019s Extreme Polarisation Problem<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lord Sumption acknowledged that political polarisation is not unique to the United States. Other advanced democracies face deep divisions over contentious issues such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Abortion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Same-sex partnerships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gun control<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public health and healthcare provision<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What distinguishes the United States, however, is not the existence of division, but the failure of its institutions to manage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"institutional-paralysis-a-system-jammed-from-within\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Institutional_Paralysis_A_System_Jammed_from_Within\"><\/span>Institutional Paralysis: A System Jammed from Within<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Lord Sumption, America\u2019s constitutional machinery has become dangerously gridlocked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Congress is paralysed by procedural weapons like the filibuster, allowing minorities to block legislation with majority support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supreme Court appointments can be stalled indefinitely through simple political obstruction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leadership crises in the House of Representatives can prevent even the basic functioning of government.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fiscal brinkmanship allows political factions to threaten national bankruptcy by withholding essential revenues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This, he argued, is not healthy constitutional tension\u2014it is systemic failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"judicial-power-without-democratic-escape\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judicial_Power_Without_Democratic_Escape\"><\/span>Judicial Power Without Democratic Escape<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A central concern in Lord Sumption\u2019s critique is the finality of U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Because the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, judicial interpretations cannot be reversed through ordinary democratic processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The consequences are profound:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Presidential elections become proxy battles for Supreme Court control.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Presidents can reshape constitutional meaning for generations by appointing young, ideologically aligned justices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Major questions of social policy are decided by courts rather than elected institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In this environment, judicial review ceases to be a safeguard and becomes a substitute for democratic politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"when-shared-political-culture-collapses\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Shared_Political_Culture_Collapses\"><\/span>When Shared Political Culture Collapses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lord Sumption identified the true vulnerability of the U.S. Constitution: its dependence on a shared political culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The system of checks and balances only works when all sides share a basic commitment to making the system function\u2014even at the cost of losing an argument. When that shared commitment collapses, the branches of government fall into perpetual conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of dispersing power, checks and balances produce total stalemate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ironically, he observed, this breakdown occurs precisely when a functioning constitution is needed most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"historical-echoes-of-constitutional-breakdown\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Historical_Echoes_of_Constitutional_Breakdown\"><\/span>Historical Echoes of Constitutional Breakdown<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not the first time the American system has faced such stress. Lord Sumption pointed to earlier constitutional crises:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The 1850s, in the lead-up to the Civil War<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The 1930s, during clashes between Congress and the Supreme Court over the New Deal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What makes today\u2019s crisis more dangerous is the Constitution\u2019s extreme rigidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"constitutional-rigidity-problem\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Problem_of_Constitutional_Rigidity\"><\/span>The Problem of Constitutional Rigidity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike many democracies, the United States lacks an effective constitutional \u201csafety valve.\u201d Amendments require overwhelming political consensus\u2014two-thirds of Congress and ratification by two-thirds of the states\u2014making reform virtually impossible in a polarized society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"consequences-of-rigidity\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"As_a_Result\"><\/span>As a Result<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Entrenched judicial doctrines can persist for decades<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Democratic correction becomes unattainable<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Political frustration intensifies rather than resolves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"supreme-court-political-actor\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Supreme_Court_as_a_Political_Actor\"><\/span>The Supreme Court as a Political Actor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lord Sumption was particularly critical of periods when the U.S. Supreme Court has pursued overt political agendas. He cited historical examples where judicial power entrenched conservative interests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Obstruction of labour protection laws before World War II<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Resistance to civil rights reforms for nearly a century after the Civil War<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decisions enabling unlimited corporate spending in elections<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Judicial invalidation of gun control laws despite recurring mass violence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When such rulings are constitutionalised, he warned, they become almost impossible to undo\u2014\u201cuntil the crack of doom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"constitution-good-times\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Constitution_That_Works_Only_in_Good_Times\"><\/span>A Constitution That Works Only in Good Times<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lord Sumption\u2019s most damning conclusion was this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The American Constitution functions tolerably well in periods of stability, but fails catastrophically in times of stress.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>As the United States enters what he described as a period of relative economic and geopolitical decline, the inability to adapt constitutionally may prove fatal to effective governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final-unsettling-verdict\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Final_Unsettling_Verdict\"><\/span>A Final, Unsettling Verdict<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lord Sumption ended with a personal reflection that resonated deeply with the audience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI would not wish to live under such a constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>It was not an attack on America as a nation, but a warning about constitutional design, democratic accountability, and the dangers of mistaking rigidity for strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-this-speech-matters\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_This_Speech_Matters_Today\"><\/span>Why This Speech Matters Today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For lawyers, constitutional scholars, and policymakers worldwide, Lord Jonathan Sumption\u2019s critique offers a rare external diagnosis of American constitutional dysfunction\u2014one that challenges long-held assumptions about the virtues of immutability, judicial supremacy, and unchecked constitutional reverence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In an era of rising polarisation across democracies, his words invite a broader, urgent question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"constitutional-evolution-question\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_Constitution_Survive_if_It_Cannot_Evolve\"><\/span>Can a Constitution Survive if It Cannot Evolve?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Article:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalservicesindia.com\/rule-of-law-explained-lord-binghams-vision-and-its-relevance-to-indian-constitutional-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rule of Law Explained: Lord Bingham\u2019s Vision and Its Relevance to Indian Constitutional Law<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lawyers_In_United_Kingdom\"><\/span>Lawyers In United Kingdom<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><a href=\"\/int_lawyers\/london.htm\">Lawyers in London, UK<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"\/int_lawyers\/birmingham.htm\">Lawyers in Birmingham<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"\/int_lawyers\/dublin.htm\">Lawyers in Dublin, Ireland<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"\/int_lawyers\/manchester.htm\">Lawyers in Manchester<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"\/int_lawyers\/lancaster.htm\">Lawyers in Lancaster<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"\/int_lawyers\/edinburgh.htm\">Lawyers in Edinburgh, Scotland<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"\/int_lawyers\/southampton.htm\">Lawyers in Southampton<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"\/int_lawyers\/bradford.htm\">Lawyers in Bradford<\/a><\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Former UK Supreme Court Justice\u2019s Stark Warning on Constitutional Failure In this incisive constitutional analysis, Lord Jonathan Sumption, former Justice of the UK Supreme Court, delivers a stark critique of the United States Constitution and its ability to govern a deeply polarised society. He argues that a constitution\u2019s true purpose is not rigid legal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":13253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[3313,24,28,3579],"class_list":{"0":"post-13240","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-foreign-laws","8":"tag-foreign-laws","9":"tag-just-in","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-uk-law"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/lord-jonathan-sumption-american-constitution-crisis.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}