Section 4. The court or magistrate to whom the petition is presented shall, without delay, issue a writ of habeas corpus, substantially in the form heretofore established and used in the commonwealth, and returnable forthwith to the supreme judicial court, or a justice thereof, at such place as shall be designated in the writ.

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 248 sec. 4

  • 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.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
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