Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

writ-of-certiorari

Legal Term

/ˌrɪt əv sɜːrʧɪˈærɪ/

Definition

A type of court order that directs a lower court to send up the records of a case for review.

Examples

The Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the controversial case.
After the appeals court’s decision, the defendant sought a writ of certiorari to the highest court.

Meaning

This legal document serves as a request for the Supreme Court or another higher court to review a lower court’s decision and determine whether there were any legal errors that could affect the outcome of the case.