Habeas corpus is a significant principle in law that plays a vital role in safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary and lawless state action. It is Latin for “you may have the body”. The term refers to a legal action or writ by which detainees can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment.
To explain it simply, imagine you were unjustly arrested and put in jail without a fair trial. Habeas corpus is like a legal tool that your lawyer uses to tell the court, “Hey, you can’t just lock my client up without good reason. You need to show that you have a valid reason for imprisoning him/her”. It’s a fundamental right that protects us from being held in jail unlawfully or indefinitely without charges against us.