The "Great Writ" of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. 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.In United States law, habeas corpus is a recourse challenging the reasons or conditions of a person's confinement under color of law. Introduction. This pamphlet is intended as a general guide to assist a person in prosecuting a civil matter in the Appellate Division, Second Department. A Writ of Habeas Corpus is a civil proceeding that is available in both State and Federal Court to challenge the legality of imprisonment. Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus Under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. Download. To get a writ of habeas corpus, you must file a petition for a civil (not criminal) proceeding in either state or federal court. The "Great Writ" of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. Latin, meaning "you have the body. , pending habeas actions are in the category of cases subject to the statute's jurisdictional bar.