Noun: habeas corpus 'hey-bee-us 'kor-pus
- (law) the civil right to obtain a writ of habeas corpus as protection against illegal imprisonment
"The prisoner's lawyer filed for habeas corpus to challenge the detention"
- (law) a writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge
"The defence attorney filed a writ of habeas corpus to challenge her client's detention";
- writ of habeas corpus
Type of: civil right, judicial writ, writ
Encyclopedia: Habeas corpus