A Writ of Habeas Corpus is one of the primary ways of obtaining a client's freedom based on his or her actual innocence. A writ of habeas corpus is a legal proceeding designed to bring a party before a court to test whether they are being held lawfully.The Writ of Habeas Corpus protects prison inmates from false imprisonment to ensure people are not thrown into jail unlawfully. The court must rule on a petition for writ of habeas corpus within 60 days after the petition is filed. The writ of Habeas Corpus is the legal system's last line of defense against unlawful incarceration. The term "habeas corpus" is Latin and means "that you have the body. A Writ of Habeas Corpus directed to the Sheriff commands him to bring a prisoner before a designated court at a specified time. The term "habeas corpus" is Latin and means "that you have the body. The Petitioner respectfully alleges as follows: is being illegally confined in the custody of. Generally, an individual seeking to challenge his or her criminal conviction through a habeas petition must do so in a "timely fashion.