Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Latin
Origin: 'you should have the body' (the first words on the document which demands that the person should be allowed to come to court)

habeas corpus

 noun
     
Related topics: Law
ha‧be‧as cor‧pus [uncountable]
lawSCL a law which says that a person can only be kept in prison following a court's decision
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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