Eyre, Sir James

Eyre, Sir James,

1734–99, English jurist. As a young lawyer he was counsel (1763) for John WilkesWilkes, John,
1727–97, English politician and journalist. He studied at the Univ. of Leiden, returned to England in 1746, and purchased (1757) a seat in Parliament.
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 in the suit against the government that established the illegality of general warrants (warrants for the arrest of any or all persons, no names being specified, involved in an offense). He later became president of the Court of Exchequer (1787) and chief justice of common pleas (1793). He presided (1794) over the famous state trials of John Horne TookeTooke, John Horne,
1736–1812, English radical politician and philologist. Born John Horne, he adopted the name Tooke in 1782 after being designated heir to the estate of a rich friend, William Tooke.
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 and others for alleged subversion of the government.