The Habeas Corpus Act 1679 is an Act of Parliament in England (31 Cha. 2. c. 2) during the reign of King Charles II.To obtain a writ of habeas corpus, you must show the court that you are in custody in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States. The writ (or court order) of habeas corpus required that anyone, including royal officials, who detained a prisoner, had to show that this detention was legal. An act for the better securing the liberty of the subject, and for prevention of imprisonments beyond the seas. An act for the better securing the liberty of the subject, and for prevention of imprisonments beyond the seas, commonly called "the habeas corpus act." The Exclusion Crisis ran from 1679 until 1681 in the reign of King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland. Latin for "that you have the body. Thus the Habeas Corpus Act 1679, which was passed between 6 and 25 March, is dated 1678 in the Statutes at Large. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law.