writ

Writ refers to a formal written order issued by a competent authority, typically a court or government office, that directs the recipient to perform or refrain from a specified act. In common law systems, writs historically served as the principal procedural device to initiate a lawsuit or to compel a government or public official to act. The term derives from Old English gewrit, meaning something written, and the medieval English legal system maintained a growing repertoire of specialized writs—each with a defined form and strict requirements for issuance. A writ is binding on the parties to whom it is directed, and noncompliance generally exposed the responder to penalties, including contempt of court.

Over time, many jurisdictions replaced or supplemented the formal writ with more modern modes of process, such as complaints or petitions. Nevertheless, several writs remain in contemporary use in common law jurisdictions. In the United States and other countries, notable writs include habeas corpus, which commands custody authorities to deliver a detainee to the court to determine legality of detention; mandamus, which requires a public official or court to perform a duty; prohibition, which prevents a lower court from acting outside its jurisdiction; and certiorari, which reviews the decisions of lower courts. Some jurisdictions retain writs for specific purposes, such as ejectment or special remedies, though these are often highly procedural and limited in scope.

Writs thus occupy a historical role as the formal instruments of control and initiation in the common law tradition, while modern practice tends to use more flexible and codified procedures for ordinary civil and criminal litigation.