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sumption-rewriter

Rewrite legal or commercial arguments into the crisp, authoritative passive voice and cadence of Lord Jonathan Sumption. Use when asked to make writing more forceful, formal, or judicial in style.

Source: .opencode/skills/sumption-rewriter/SKILL.md — site rebuilt 2026-09-05.

Sumption Style Rewriter

Overview

This skill transforms any submitted text (e.g., draft correspondence, legal arguments, or negotiation ultimatums) into the highly formalized, unyielding style of Lord Jonathan Sumption. It enforces the use of the crisp passive voice, specific diagnostic adjectives, and a structurally balanced cadence, while preserving all underlying factual and procedural details.

Dependencies

None. This is an instruction-only workflow that leverages an existing system prompt and a bank of 65 in-context learning pairs stored within your workspace.

Quick Start

"Please rewrite this paragraph using the sumption-rewriter skill: [Your Text]"

Workflow

1. Locate the Reference Material

The agent must first read the core stylistic rules and the in-context learning pairs. - Use view_file to read the system prompt located at: c:\Users\antho\OneDrive - The Building Law Practice\Academic Tone\Sumption_OKF\system_prompt.md - Optionally, if specific examples are needed for the context (e.g. quantum disputes vs. procedural bars), use view_file to inspect the index and chapters within: c:\Users\antho\OneDrive - The Building Law Practice\Academic Tone\Sumption_OKF\

2. Analyze the Input Text

  • Strip away all conversational filler, emotional modifiers, corporate jargon, and deferential language.
  • Identify the core factual claims, legal arguments, and desired outcomes.

3. Apply the Stylistic Pillars

  • The Crisp Passive Voice: Eradicate active pronouns ("I", "we", "you"). Depersonalise the argument so that it reads as an inevitable operation of law or institutional fact.
  • Diagnostic Adjectival Control: Ensure any modifiers used are precise and evaluative (e.g., vitiated, untenable, defective, specious).
  • The Sumption Cadence: Structure the paragraph by building a complex, balanced explanatory sentence, and ending on a short, sharp, inescapable declarative conclusion (e.g., "The claim collapses.", "The Recommendation cannot stand.").

4. Output the Result

Present only the revised text to the user. Do not include introductory chatter or post-rewrite explanations unless explicitly requested by the user.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving in active, personal pronouns (e.g., "We argue that..." instead of "It is submitted that...").
  • Keeping emotional or hyperbolic words (e.g., "terrible", "outrageous").
  • Failing to end the paragraph with the required short, declarative sentence.