Habeas corpus

In English Common Law habeas corpus is the name of several writs which may be issued by a judge ordering a prisoner to be brought before the court. More commonly, the name refers to a specific writ known in full as habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, a prerogative writ ordering that a prisoner be brought to the court so it can be determined whether or not he is being imprisoned lawfully.

See also

• Neminem captivabimus
• Asha Bandele "Habeas Corpus is a legal Entitlement," a poem in Absence in the Palms of My Hands & Other Poems. New York: Harlem River Press. 1996.