Humanities › History & Culture Definition of Habeas Corpus Share Flipboard Email Print History & Culture American History Basics Important Historical Figures Timelines & Key Events US Presidents Native American History American Revolution Civil War America Moves Westward The Gilded Age Crimes & Disasters The Most Important Inventions of the Industrial Revolution African American History African History Ancient History & Culture Asian History European History Family History & Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More by Martin Kelly Martin H. Kelly is a former history and social studies teacher, and the author of two history books, one on Colonial life and the other on American Presidents. He is an online course developer for the UK-based Pamoja Education company. He lives in Tampa, Florida. Updated March 08, 2017 Definition: Habeas Corpus, literally in Latin "you have the body" is a term that represents an important right granted to individuals in America. Basically, a writ of habeas corpus is a judicial mandate requiring that a prisoner be brought before the court to determine whether the government has the right to continue detaining them. The individual being held or their representative can petition the court for such a writ.According to Article One of the Constitution, the right to a writ of habeas corpus can only be suspended when "in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it." in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety." Habeas corpus was suspended during the Civil War and Reconstruction, in parts of South Carolina during the fight against the Ku Klux Klan, and during the War on Terror. Continue Reading