Section 32. Any court having jurisdiction of actions for divorce or nullity of marriage, separate support, or maintenance, or of any other proceeding in which the care and custody of any child is drawn in question, may issue a writ of habeas corpus to bring before it such child. The writ may be made returnable forthwith before the court by which it is issued, and, upon its return, said court may make any appropriate order or judgment relative to the child who may thus be brought before it.

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 208 sec. 32

  • Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
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