Under Virginia law, habeas corpus is a civil proceeding used to challenge and remedy due process violations. Habeas corpus is perhaps the most critical writ available to prisoners for challenging criminal convictions and sentences in state and federal courts.A habeas corpus petition attacking a criminal conviction or sentence shall be filed within two years from the date of final judgment in the trial court. Corpus. Habeas corpus is available to prisoners challenging their convictions and sentences. Federal habeas corpus is a procedure under which a federal court may review the legality of an individual's incarceration. In United States law, habeas corpus is a recourse challenging the reasons or conditions of a person's confinement under color of law. The Habeas Corpus petition claims the arrest, sentence, or trial violated constitutional law, making imprisonment unlawful. This Chapter explains an important right—the writ of habeas corpus. Democracy is a system of government in which state power is vested in the people or the general population of a state. Fiery meaning in english.