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Practical guides to organising records and preparing for legal discussions. Browse a topic or search a question.
What does a High Court writ petition seek?
A writ petition invokes constitutional judicial review for an identified legal wrong. It is not a general substitute for every suit, appeal or administrative…
Public & WorkA writ petition and a statutory appeal
Identify the appeal or other remedy created by the governing statute before choosing constitutional proceedings. Writ review and an appeal on the merits serve…
Public & WorkAlternative remedies and exceptions in writ proceedings
The available statutory route and the claimed exception need a precise assessment. Merely describing an order as illegal does not automatically justify bypassing it.
Public & WorkMandamus and an alleged public duty
Identify the legal duty and the authority expected to perform it. A requested favour or disputed private promise is different from an enforceable public obligation.
Public & WorkCertiorari and a challenged decision
Identify the actual decision and the legal error said to justify judicial review. Disagreement with a result alone does not define the remedy.
Public & WorkProhibition and proceedings said to exceed authority
A challenge to ongoing proceedings requires identifying the body, its legal power and the alleged excess. An anticipated adverse result alone is not the same issue.
Public & WorkHabeas corpus and a person's detention
Identify where and by whom the person is held and seek prompt legal assistance where liberty is at issue. A general website guide is not an emergency response…
Public & WorkQuo warranto and a public-office appointment
Identify the office and the alleged legal ineligibility precisely. Personal disagreement with an appointment is different from a challenge to authority to hold a…
Public & WorkNatural justice in an administrative decision
Record the notice, material supplied, opportunity to respond and actual decision. A procedural complaint should explain the concrete disadvantage, not merely use a…
Public & WorkReasons in an administrative order
Read the complete order and the statutory framework before concluding it gives no reasons. A short decision and an unintelligible one are not automatically the same.
Public & WorkDelay in approaching the High Court
Prepare the complete date history and obtain advice promptly. The absence of a single universal writ-filing period does not make delay irrelevant.
Public & WorkInterim relief in a writ petition
Identify the immediate legal harm and the exact temporary direction sought. Filing a petition does not itself stay the challenged action.