A habeas petition has been described as "the best and only sufficient defense of personal freedom. Habeas Corpus is a time-tested legal principle.It is a cornerstone of justice and personal liberty in the U.S. legal system. In all writs of habeas corpus sought on account of the detention of a spouse or child, the court on hearing all the facts may exercise its discretion. It tests the legality of a detention or a restraint and the goal is to use it really almost i guess it's an emergency basis. A Writ of Habeas Corpus, which is Latin for "bring a body before the court," is a petition for a court to review the circumstances of your imprisonment. A Writ of Habeas Corpus, which is Latin for "bring a body before the court," is a petition for a court to review the circumstances of your imprisonment. The purpose of this order is to ensure that the detainee is not being held unlawfully or without sufficient cause. 224 This means that if the Supreme. A Writ of Habeas Corpus literally means bring the body before the court, and therefor the state needs to prove why the detention is proper.