Put simply, habeas corpus is a writ (petition) that can be used in a narrow set of circumstances to bring the case of a state prisoner. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in the case of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.Habeas corpus, in other words, is a petition that asks the court to completely dismiss the charges against you over the Prosecutor's objection. Habeas corpus is an extraordinary remedy used to bring a confined person before a court to ensure that the person's detention is not illegal. The meaning of WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS is habeas corpus. The writ of habeas corpus is a legal order requiring a person holding another person to produce that individual before a court or judge. A former slave, Lett, is the beneficiary of a writ of Habeas Corpus and subsequently receives freedom. The U.S. Supreme Court interprets the Constitution, which means it defines constitutional rights and violations in the cases it decides. Habeas Corpus 1788–1790, Pennsylvania State Archives, recording the proceedings in the summer of 1788 entitled Respublica v. Negroes Sam and John.