Dictionary

habeas corpus

a legal remedy against being wrongly imprisoned; an order which states that a person in prison must appear before a court of law before they can be forced by law to stay in prison The ruling gave Guantanamo prisoners the long-standing habeas corpus right to challenge their detention in US civilian courts.

Phrase Bank

  • He filed a writ of habeas corpus with the Supreme Court.
  • The court agreed to hear his habeas corpus petition.
  • Habeas corpus applies to both adults and children.
  • The principle of habeas corpus is guaranteed by the Act.

Additional Notes

  • From the Latin, meaning that you may have the body.
  • This legal remedy, which dates from the 16th century, has become the basic device for the protection of civil liberties.
  • Sometimes called merely habeas in AmE.