habeas corpus

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

hab·eas cor·pus BrE [ˌheɪbiəs ˈkɔːpəs] NAmE [ˌheɪbiəs ˈkɔːrpəs] noun uncountable (from Latin, law)
a law that states that a person who has been arrested should not be kept in prison longer than a particular period of time unless a judge in court has decided that it is right
•to apply for a writ of habeas corpus

Word Origin:
[habeas corpus] late Middle English: Latin, literally thou shalt have the body (in court).

Culture:
Habeas corpus is one of the most important ways of protecting people’s personal freedom. It formally became a part of the law in Britain in 1679. US procedure is also based on the Act of 1679. Article 1 of the American Constitution says that a person’s right to get a writ of habeas corpus can never be taken away except in cases of rebellion or invasion. ‘Habeas corpus’ is part of the Latin phrase Habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, which means ‘You should have the body brought before the judge’