- habeas corpus
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habeas cor·pus /-'kȯr-pəs, -ˌpu̇s/ n [Medieval Latin, literally, you should have the body (the opening words of the writ)]: any of several writs originating at common law that are issued to bring a party before the court; esp: habeas corpus ad subjiciendum in this entrythe privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it — U.S. Constitution art. Ihabeas corpus ad fa·ci·en·dum et re·ci·pi·en·dum /-ˌad-ˌfa-sē-'en-dəm-et-ri-ˌsi-pē-'en-dəm, -ˌfa-shē-'en-; -ˌäd-ˌfä-kē-'en-du̇m-et-rā-ˌkē-pē-'en-du̇m/ [New Latin, literally, you should have the body for doing and receiving]: habeas corpus cum causa in this entryhabeas corpus ad pro·se·quen·dum /-ˌad-ˌprä-si-'kwen-dəm, -ˌäd-ˌprō-sā-'kwen-du̇m/ [New Latin, literally, you should have the body for prosecuting]: a writ for removing a prisoner for trial in the jurisdiction of the issuing court where the prisoner committed a crimehabeas corpus ad sub·ji·ci·en·dum /-ˌad-səb-ˌji-sē-'en-dəm, -ˌji-shē-; -ˌäd-su̇b-ˌyi-kē-'en-du̇m/ [New Latin, literally, you should have the body for submitting]: an extraordinary writ issued upon a petition challenging the lawfulness of restraining a person who is imprisoned or otherwise in another's custody – called also the Great Writ;◇ Habeas corpus ad subjiciendum is an extraordinary remedy, and is by far the most frequently used writ of habeas corpus. It is an independent civil action and a form of collateral attack to determine not the guilt or innocence of the person held in custody, but whether the custody is unlawful under the U.S. Constitution. Common grounds for relief under the writ include a conviction based on illegally obtained evidence, a denial of effective assistance of counsel, or a conviction by a jury that was improperly selected and impaneled. The degree of restraint on a person's liberty that is necessary to constitute custody entitling a person to habeas corpus relief is not viewed uniformly by the courts. Use of the writ is not limited to criminal matters. It is also available in civil matters, as, for example, to challenge a person's custody of a child or the institutionalization of a person declared incompetent.habeas corpus ad tes·ti·fi·can·dum /-ˌad-ˌtes-ti-fi-'kan-dəm, -ˌäd-ˌtes-tē-fē-'kän-du̇m/ [New Latin, literally, you should have the body for testifying]: a writ for bringing a person into a court as a witnesshabeas corpus cum cau·sa /-ˌkəm-'kȯ-zə, -ˌku̇m-'kau̇-sä/ [New Latin, literally, you should have the body with the cause]: a writ issued from a superior court to an inferior court requiring that a defendant be produced along with the cause for which the defendant has been taken and held – called also habeas corpus ad faciendum et recipiendum;
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- habeas corpus
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noun
appeal, application foi discharge, application for liberty, collateral review of detention, collateral review, complaint to a higher court, examination, extraordinary remedy, extraordinary writ, judicial reexamination, petition for release, redress, remedy, review, writ, writ for deliverance from illegal confinement, writ to gain freedom
associated concepts: coram nobis, exhaustion of state remedies, federal writ of habeas corpus, prerogative writ, special proceeding, state writ of habeas corpus, writ of inquiry
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- habeas corpus
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n.(Latin) You have the body; a writ that institutes a court proceeding to determine whether a criminal defendant has been lawfully imprisoned, or to test the constitutionality of a conviction; also used in cases of child custody and deportation.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- habeas corpus
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'that you have the body', a writ older than Magna Carta, originating from an order to bring a person before a court and developed by legislation in the 17th century. It has become one of the main protections of the subject from wrongful detention. It is granted as of right but may be refused if there is another remedy. It lies against the Crown. It does not extend to the colonies and does not extend to Scotland. Once discharged under habeas corpus, a person cannot be again detained or committed for the same offence.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- habeas corpus
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(hay-bee-us kor-pus) Latin for "you have the body." A prisoner files a petition for writ of habeas corpus in order to challenge the authority of the prison or jail warden to continue to hold him or her. If the judge orders a hearing after reading the writ, that becomes the prisoner's opportunity to argue that the confinement is illegal. Habeas corpus is an important protection against illegal confinement, once called "the great writ." For example, it can be used in cases where a person is being held without charges, or when due process obviously has been denied, bail is excessive, parole has been granted, an accused has been improperly surrendered by the bail bondsman, or probation has been summarily terminated without cause. A particularly frequent use of habeas writs is by convicted prisoners arguing that the trial attorney failed to prepare the defense and was incompetent. Prisoners sentenced to death also file habeas petitions challenging the constitutionality of the state death penalty law. Note that habeas writs are different from and do not replace appeals, which are arguments for reversal of a conviction based on claims that the judge conducted the trial improperly. Often, convicted prisoners file both.Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- habeas corpus
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n. In criminal procedure, a process to challenge the detention of a prisoner; frequently used as a way to attack a conviction in federal court when state appeals have been exhausted.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- habeas corpus
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(Latin: You have the body.) A writ (court order) that commands an individual or a government official who has restrained another to produce the prisoner at a designated time and place so that the court can determine the legality of custody and decide whether to order the prisoner's release.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- habeas corpus
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I
[Latin, You have the body.] A writ (court order) that commands an individual or a government official who has restrained another to produce the prisoner at a designated time and place so that the court can determine the legality of custody and decide whether to order the prisoner's release.II The name of a writ having for its object to bring a person before a court. III You have the body; a writ used to bring someone before the court.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- habeas corpus
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[hay-bee-us core-puss]n.Latin for "you have the body," it is a writ (court order) which directs the law enforcement officials (prison administrators, police or sheriff) who have custody of a prisoner to appear in court with the prisoner to help the judge determine whether the prisoner is lawfully in prison or jail. The writ is obtained by petition to a judge in the county or district where the prisoner is incarcerated, and the judge sets a hearing on whether there is a legal basis for holding the prisoner. Habeas corpus is a protection against illegal confinement, such as holding a person without charges, when due process obviously has been denied, bail is excessive, parole has been granted, an accused has been improperly surrendered by the bail bondsman or probation has been summarily terminated without cause. Historically called "the great writ," the renowned scholar of the Common Law, William Blackstone, called it the "most celebrated writ in English law." It may also be used as a means to contest child custody and deportation proceedings in court. The writ of habeas corpus can be employed procedurally in federal district courts to challenge the constitutionality of a state court conviction.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
