Jonathan Sumption

A written constitution is no defence against authoritarian government

Linda Colley describes countless constitutions filled with laudable provisions — which could be subverted entirely legally by any autocratic ruler

The first constitution of Saint-Domingue, in 1801, abolished slavery and established Toussaint l’Ouverture as Governor for Life. Credit: Bridgeman Images
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  • The Gun, the Ship and the Pen: Warfare, Constitutions and the Making of the Modern World

    Linda Colley

    Profile Books, pp. 512, £25

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