Definitions for habeas corpusˈheɪ bi əs ˈkɔr pəs
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
ha•be•as cor•pusˈheɪ bi əs ˈkɔr pəs(n.)
a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge or court, esp. to determine whether the person has been detained or imprisoned legally.
Category: Law
the right to obtain such a writ as a protection against illegal detention or imprisonment.
Category: Law
Origin of habeas corpus:
1350–1400; < L: lit., have the body (first words of writ)
Princeton's WordNet
habeas corpus, writ of habeas corpus(noun)
a writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge
habeas corpus(noun)
the civil right to obtain a writ of habeas corpus as protection against illegal imprisonment
Wiktionary
habeas corpus(Noun)
A writ to bring a person before a court or a judge, most frequently used to ensure that a person's imprisonment, detention, or commitment is legal.
Origin: referring to the body of the person being detained (not the body of a victim, as in corpus delicti).
Webster Dictionary
Habeas corpus
a writ having for its object to bring a party before a court or judge; especially, one to inquire into the cause of a person's imprisonment or detention by another, with the view to protect the right to personal liberty; also, one to bring a prisoner into court to testify in a pending trial
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
Habeas Corpus
an Act of Parliament passed in the reign of Charles II. to ensure the protection of one accused of a crime prior to conviction in an open court of justice.
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