The "Great Writ" of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. 26B-5-311. Habeas corpus.26B-5-409. Habeas corpus. Postconviction, postappeal review in the guise of habeas corpus was a Twentieth. Century invention, always subject to legislative regulation. Latin, meaning "you have the body. As it is used in federal criminal cases, "the government" refers to the lawyers of the U.S. attorney's office who are prosecuting the case. The lawyers filed a federal court application for a writ of habeas corpus to test the legality of the detention. Habeas Corpus is a Latin word meaning which literally means 'to have the body of'. Rowe, Salt Lake City, for plaintiff.