habeas corpus
Definition
A writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or court, especially to secure the person's release unless lawful grounds for detention are shown.
The constitutional right protecting against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment, originating from English common law and adopted in many legal systems worldwide.
Examples
The overzealous parking warden's ticket felt like false imprisonment until my lawyer whispered habeas corpus and set my car free.
In zombie apocalypses, survivors demand habeas corpus from the undead hordes hoarding brains in basements.
My coffee mug, unjustly confiscated by housekeeping, prompted a mock habeas corpus trial at breakfast.
Without habeas corpus, your boss could chain you to the desk forever; with it, you've got paperwork leverage.