writ of prohibition

American  

noun

Law.

1. a command by a higher court that a lower court shall not exercise jurisdiction in a particular case.

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Etymology

Origin of writ of prohibition

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

When Fox refused, Smoot asked for a writ of prohibition from the U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive

Faced with an unprecedented challenge, the Justice Department last week petitioned the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for a writ of prohibition against Cox's order on the ground that the U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive

He did not have the remedy of the writ of habeas corpus nor the writ of prohibition against an official who attempted to make him the victim of some unlawful act.

From The Philippines: Past and Present (Volume 1 of 2) by Worcester, Dean C.