From the Latin meaning “you have the body”; a writ issued to inquire whether a person is lawfully imprisoned or detained. The writ demands that the persons holding the prisoner justify his detention or release him. Article I, Section 9 allows the President to suspend the writ of habeas corpus but only in limited circumstances “in cases of rebellion or invasion when public safety may require it.”
Justice Talking, The United States Constitution, what it says, what it means, A Hip Pocket Guide (Oxford University Press)