habeas
Law & Legal abbreviation · Latin Legal
| Stands for | Habeas corpus (you should have the body) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
habeas stands for Habeas corpus (you should have the body), a Latin legal abbreviation.
Shortened form of habeas corpus, the writ by which a prisoner challenges the legality of detention before a court. Lawyers speak of "federal habeas", "a habeas petition" or "habeas counsel", usually meaning collateral attacks on criminal convictions.
Example: After the state appeals failed, his lawyers filed a federal habeas petition under section 2254.
Usage notes
The Constitution's Suspension Clause (art. I, § 9, cl. 2) bars suspending the writ except in cases of rebellion or invasion. State prisoners file under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 and federal prisoners move under § 2255, both subject to the one-year deadline set in 1996. The full name of the classic writ is habeas corpus ad subjiciendum.
Related abbreviations
More Latin legal abbreviations
- Cur. adv. vult – Curia advisari vult (the court wishes to consider)
- d.b.n. – De bonis non (of goods not administered)
- et ux. – Et uxor (and wife)
- ex p. – Ex parte (on the application of)
- ex rel. – Ex relatione (on the relation of)
- fi. fa. – Fieri facias (that you cause to be made)
- i.a. – Inter alia (among other things)
- IFP – In forma pauperis (in the manner of a pauper)
- JNOV – Judgment non obstante veredicto (judgment notwithstanding the verdict)
- L.S. – Locus sigilli (place of the seal)
- nem. con. – Nemine contradicente (with no one dissenting)
- nol. pros. – Nolle prosequi (to be unwilling to prosecute)
See all 22 Latin legal abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.