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Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden

Common Law Founders and Commentators

Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden was an English lawyer, judge and Whig politician who was first to hold the title of Earl Camden. As a lawyer and judge he was a leading proponent of civil liberties, championing the rights of the jury and limiting the powers of the State in leading cases such as Entick v Carrington, and he held the offices of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Attorney-General and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Role
Lawyer, judge and Whig politician 1
Nationality / Jurisdiction
English 1
Born
1714 1
Birth Date
1714-03-21 2
Birthplace
Kensington 2
Died
1794 1
Death Date
1794-04-18 2
Place of Death
London 2
Role
Role (category)
Judge 1
Role (category)
Lawyer 1
Role (category)
Politician 1
Classification
Field of Law
Human Rights Law 1
Gender
Male 1
Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden
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FAQs

Why did Lord Camden call his own 1766 grain proclamation a forty days tyranny?

He pleaded necessity for an unlawful export ban that parliament accused him of tyranny for issuing.

A poor harvest in 1766 led to fears of high grain prices and starvation, but parliament was prorogued and could not renew an export ban that expired on 26 August. Pitt, with Camden's support, called the Privy Council to issue a royal proclamation on 26 September prohibiting grain exports until parliament met. The proclamation was unlawful, contrary to article 2 of the Bill of Rights 1689, and both houses of parliament ultimately accused Pitt and Camden of tyranny. Camden pleaded necessity, a justification he had rejected in the Wilkes and Carrington trials, and called the episode a forty days tyranny. The government was forced to pass an act indemnifying those involved from legal action.
Connections

In Legal System

Source Wikidata: Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden

Long-Form Articles

Works Attributed

Source Entick v Carrington (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Nationality

Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.

Source Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden (Wikipedia)tier 2
Sources
1. Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, opening sentence
    he was a leading proponent of civil liberties, championing the rights of the jury, and limiting the powers of the State in leading cases such as Entick v Carrington
  • Lead section, birth date
    21 March 1714
  • Lead section, death date
    18 April 1794
  • Introduction
    Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, PC (baptised 21 March 1714 - 18 April 1794) was an English lawyer, judge and Whig politician who was first to hold the title of Earl Camden.
  • Introduction, field of law
    As a lawyer and judge he was a leading proponent of civil liberties, championing the rights of the jury, and limiting the powers of the State in leading cases such as Entick v Carrington.
View the Source
2. Wikidata: Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden
  • Wikidata Q4376484, P569 date of birth claim (full date)
    P569 (date of birth): 1714-03-21
  • Wikidata Q4376484, P570 date of death claim (full date)
    P570 (date of death): 1794-04-18
  • Wikidata Q4376484, P19 place of birth claim
    P19 (place of birth): Kensington
  • Wikidata Q4376484, P20 place of death claim
    P20 (place of death): London
  • In Legal System: English Law, Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden was an English lawyer, judge and Whig politician who was first to hold the title of Earl Camden. As a lawyer and judge he was a leading proponent of civil libe
View the Source
Camden, Charles Pratt, 1st Earl, in The Oxford Companion to British History (Encyclopedia.com)
  • Entry text, middle
    His most famous case came in 1763 involving Wilkes and the libellous North Briton. Camden ruled that general warrants were illegal and gained great popularity. He strongly opposed the taxation of the American colonies, declaring the Stamp Act unconstitutional.
  • Entry text, opening
    Camden joined Middle Temple and was called to the bar in 1738. At first he found it difficult to obtain a brief but eventually found work and established his reputation.
View the Source
Entick v Carrington (Wikipedia)
Works Attributed: Entick v Carrington, Infobox opinions field: Camden CJView the Source
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