Noun: writ of mandamus
- (law) an extraordinary writ commanding an official to perform a ministerial act that the law recognizes as an absolute duty and not a matter for the official's discretion; used only when all other judicial remedies fail
"The citizens filed for a writ of mandamus to compel the city to repair the dangerous bridge";
- mandamus
Derived forms: writs of mandamus
Type of: judicial writ, writ
Encyclopedia: Writ of mandamus