writ

Noun
  1. (law) a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer (synset 106564975)
    referred to in: jurisprudence, law - the collection of rules imposed by authority
    is a type of: instrument, legal document, legal instrument, official document - (law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right
    subtypes:
    • court order - a writ issued by a court of law requiring a person to do something or to refrain from doing something
    • warrant - a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
    • assize - an ancient writ issued by a court of assize to the sheriff for the recovery of property
    • certiorari, writ of certiorari - a common law writ issued by a superior court to one of inferior jurisdiction demanding the record of a particular case
    • habeas corpus, writ of habeas corpus - a writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge
    • venire facias - a judicial writ ordering a sheriff to summon people for jury duty
    • mandamus, writ of mandamus - 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
    • attachment - a writ authorizing the seizure of property that may be needed for the payment of a judgment in a judicial proceeding
    • fieri facias - a writ ordering a levy on the belongings of a debtor to satisfy the debt
    • scire facias - a judicial writ based on some record and requiring the party against whom it is brought to show cause why the record should not be enforced or annulled
    • sequestration - a writ that authorizes the seizure of property
    • writ of detinue - a writ ordering the release of goods that have been unlawfully detained
    • writ of election - a writ ordering the holding of an election
    • writ of error - a judicial writ from an appellate court ordering the court of record to produce the records of trial
    • writ of prohibition - a judicial writ from a higher court ordering a lower court not to exercise jurisdiction in a particular case
    • writ of right - a writ ordering that land be restored to its rightful owner
    • process, summons - a writ issued by authority of law; usually compels the defendant's attendance in a civil suit; failure to appear results in a default judgment against the defendant
    • subpoena, subpoena ad testificandum - a writ issued by court authority to compel the attendance of a witness at a judicial proceeding; disobedience may be punishable as a contempt of court
    • subpoena duces tecum - a writ issued by a court at the request of one of the parties to a suit; it requires a witness to bring to court or to a deposition any relevant documents under the witness's control
    same as: judicial writ

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