Habeas Corpus Act Law and Legal Definition
Habeas Corpus Act was an English statute enacted in 1679 during the reign of King Charles II. It was passed to remedy a condition of indifference or disregard of the rights of the people which had through royal influence and other causes reached the point where the common law writ became so little respected that it no longer afforded real or substantial benefits to English subjects.
The Habeas Corpus Act served as the predecessor of Habeas Corpus provisions found in U.S. federal and state constitutions and statutes that preserve the assurance of personal liberty.
