December 20, 2025
Entick v Carrington & Ors [1765] EWHC KB J98
John Entick, suspected of authoring seditious papers, had his home searched and papers seized by King's messengers acting under a general warrant issued by the Secretary of State. The Court held such warrants illegal, establishing that executive power cannot authorise entry to private property without specific legal authority. Facts John Entick was suspected of being the author of seditious papers titled ‘The Monitor, or British Freeholder’. The Earl of Halifax, Secretary of State, issued a general warrant directing four King’s messengers (Nathan Carrington and three others) to search for Entick, seize him along with all his books and papers, and
