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Habeas Corpus

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Habeas Corpus
Christopher Reynolds
Final paper
Habeas Corpus
PSY: 202 American national Government
Troy Tureau

Habeas Corpus Habeas Corpus is one of the most important articles written into the constitution of the United States and is considered by many to be the “great writ of liberty”. It was not originally written for our constitution but was adopted by the framers from their original home in Great Brittan. .Habeas Corpus along with our other civil liberties are some of the things that make our country so great. In my paper I will talk about the meaning and history of Habeas Corpus including times in our history it was suspended. The paper will talk about habeas corpus relevance to America’s war on terror. This paper will also talk briefly about how Habeas Corpus and our civil liberties are interpreted and treated in regards to our constitutional rights as well as when congress determines it is lawful to suspend. I will add my own philosophy’s and opinions as well as government leaders such as justices of the Supreme Court, and the media’s take on the subject of Habeas Corpus and our civil liberties in general but especially during wartime and the war on terror. According to the article Habeas Corpus in the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia 6th edition (2011) the writ of habeas corpus is Latin for you should have the body. There are two important factors that go along with its Latin meaning. First a writ is a document in a courts name to a jailor for example, to act or not act in some way. This writ is an order by judge to see a prisoner in the case was they get arrested and detained. The article explains that habeas corpus was not set up to determine guilt but, make sure a prisoner is being treated fairly ,has not been held unlawfully and is let go in the case that the prisoner has been held unlawfully. The article goes on to explain that habeas corpus is also used by state prisoners to appeal their convictions if they feel like they have had their rights



References: Levin-Waldman, O. M. (2012). American government. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Chapter 8 – Civil Liberties and Civil Rights /Chapter 5, Section 5.7 – Wartime President Habeas corpus(2011) Oyez. (2008). Boumediene v. Bush. IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Foley, B. (2007). Guantanamo and beyond: Dangers of rigging the rules. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 97(4), 1009-10069.

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