Writs of Habeas Corpus. An application for a Writ of Habeas Corpus is filed when a person seeks relief from unlawful detention or imprisonment.Habeas corpus is a legal principle that protects an individual's right to be free from unlawful detention or imprisonment. Federal habeas corpus is a procedure under which a federal court may review the legality of an individual's incarceration. Translated from Latin it means "show me the body. In United States law, habeas corpus is a recourse challenging the reasons or conditions of a person's confinement under color of law. The writ may also be employed in a wide variety of situations not involving criminal proceedings. Examples of writ of habeas corpus in a Sentence. Recent Examples on the Web. 2019); 1 BOUVIER'S LAW DICTIONARY, (11th ed.