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habeas corpus definition

ha·beas cor·pus (hā′bē əs kôr′pəs)

Law any of various writs ordering a person to be brought before a court; specif., a writ requiring that a detained person be brought before a court to decide the legality of the detention or imprisonment
in full habeas corpus ad subjiciendum habeas corpus ad′· sub·ji′·ci·en′·dum (ad′ sub jis′ē en′dəm)

Etymology: ME < L, (that) you have the body

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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