Habeas Corpus, in the Federal Court, is a petition that claims that you are being detained against your US constitutional rights. The "Great Writ" of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment.The writ of habeas corpus primarily acts as a writ of inquiry, issued to test the reasons or grounds for restraint and detention. A Writ of Habeas Corpus is a civil proceeding that is available in both State and Federal Court to challenge the legality of imprisonment. Habeas corpus is Latin for "that you have the body" or "show me the body," and functions as legal shorthand from a judge to a corrections officer. A writ of habeas corpus is a judicial mandate to a prison official, usually the warden, ordering that an inmate be brought to the court. A writ of habeas corpus is a judicial mandate to a prison official, usually the warden, ordering that an inmate be brought to the court. Print to fill in the spaces next to the instructions. A New York Family Lawyer said the respondent wife moved out of the marital residence. She was approximately seven months pregnant at the time.