habeas corpus
IPA: hˈæbiʌskˈɔrpʌs
noun
- (law) A writ ordering that a person be brought before a court or a judge, most frequently used to ensure that a person's imprisonment, detention, or commitment is legal.
verb
- (informal, law) To apply the legal principle of habeas corpus to an individual or situation.
Examples of "habeas-corpus" in Sentences
- The trial by jury in criminal cases, aided by the habeas-corpus act, seems therefore to be alone concerned in the question.
- In April, the Obama Justice Department asked the court to halt the habeas-corpus cases of three detainees at Bagram, signaling their intention to continue the Bush administration practice of denying those detained by the U.S. at Gitmo and elsewhere basic rights to representation, trial, and appeal.