What is "writ"

Write \Write\, v. t. [imp. Wrote; p. p. Written; Archaic imp. & p. p. Writ; p. pr. & vb. n. Writing.] [OE. writen, AS. wr[=i]tan; originally, to scratch, to score; akin to OS. wr[=i]tan to write, to tear, to wound, D. rijten to tear, to rend, G. reissen, OHG. r[=i]zan, Icel. r[=i]ta to write, Goth. writs a stroke, dash, letter. Cf. Race tribe, lineage.]

1. To set down, as legible characters; to form the conveyance of meaning; to inscribe on any material by a suitable instrument; as, to write the characters called letters; to write figures.

2. To set down for reading; to express in legible or intelligible characters; to inscribe; as, to write a deed; to write a bill of divorcement; hence, specifically, to set down in an epistle; to communicate by letter.

   Last night she enjoined me to write some lines to one she loves.
   --Shak.

   I chose to write the thing I durst not speak To her I loved.
   --Prior.

3. Hence, to compose or produce, as an author.

   I purpose to write the history of England from the accession of King James the Second down to a time within the memory of men still living.
   --Macaulay.

4. To impress durably; to imprint; to engrave; as, truth written on the heart.

5. To make known by writing; to record; to prove by one's own written testimony; -- often used reflexively.

   He who writes himself by his own inscription is like an ill painter, who, by writing on a shapeless picture which he hath drawn, is fain to tell passengers what shape it is, which else no man could imagine.
   --Milton.

   To write to, to communicate by a written document to.

   Written laws, laws deriving their force from express legislative enactment, as contradistinguished from unwritten, or common, law. See the Note under Law, and Common law, under Common, a.

Writ \Writ\, obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Write, for writeth.
--Chaucer.

Writ \Writ\, archaic imp. & p. p. of Write.
--Dryden.

Writ \Writ\, n. [AS. writ, gewrit. See Write.]

1. That which is written; writing; scripture; -- applied especially to the Scriptures, or the books of the Old and New testaments; as, sacred writ. ``Though in Holy Writ not named.''
   --Milton.

   Then to his hands that writ he did betake, Which he disclosing read, thus as the paper spake.
   --Spenser.

   Babylon, so much spoken of in Holy Writ.
   --Knolles.

2. (Law) An instrument in writing, under seal, in an epistolary form, issued from the proper authority, commanding the performance or nonperformance of some act by the person to whom it is directed; as, a writ of entry, of error, of execution, of injunction, of mandamus, of return, of summons, and the like.

   Note: Writs are usually witnessed, or tested, in the name of the chief justice or principal judge of the court out of which they are issued; and those directed to a sheriff, or other ministerial officer, require him to return them on a day specified. In former English law and practice, writs in civil cases were either original or judicial; the former were issued out of the Court of Chancery, under the great seal, for the summoning of a defendant to appear, and were granted before the suit began and in order to begin the same; the latter were issued out of the court where the original was returned, after the suit was begun and during the pendency of it. Tomlins. Brande. Encyc. Brit. The term writ is supposed by Mr. Reeves to have been derived from the fact of these formul[ae] having always been expressed in writing, being, in this respect, distinguished from the other proceedings in the ancient action, which were conducted orally.

   Writ of account, Writ of capias, etc. See under Account, Capias, etc.

   Service of a writ. See under Service.

Old English writ "something written, piece of writing," from the past participle stem of writan (see write). Used of legal documents or instruments since at least 1121.

n. 1 (context legal English) A written order, issued by a court, ordering someone to do (or stop doing) something. 2 authority, power to enforce compliance 3 (context obsolete English) that which is written; writing vb. (context dated nonstandard English) (past participle of write English)

n. (law) a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer [syn: judicial writ]

Writ may refer to:

• a Writ, a legal document
• Writ of election, a writ issued by a state ordering that an election be held
• Writ (website), an online legal commentary
• Ogg Writ, a text-phrase codec
• "The Writ" (also appears as "The Writ/Blow on a Jug"), a song from Black Sabbath's 1975 album Sabotage
• Holy Writ, an old-fashioned term for the Bible and other religious texts
• WRIT-FM, an oldies-formatted radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

In English common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs and subpoenas are common types of writ but innumerable forms exist, as listed in Palgrave's Parliamentary Writs (1827, 1834). In its earliest form a writ was simply a written order made by the English monarch to a specified person to undertake a specified action; for example, in the feudal era a military summons by the king to one of his tenants-in-chief to appear dressed for battle with retinue at a certain place and time. An early usage survives in the United Kingdom and Canada in a writ of election, which is a written order issued on behalf of the monarch (in Canada, the Governor General) to local officials ( High Sheriffs of every county in the historical UK) to hold a general election. Writs were used by the medieval English kings to summon persons to Parliament (then consisting of the House of Lords alone) whose advice was considered valuable or who were particularly influential, who were thereby deemed to have been created " barons by writ".

Writ is a legal commentary website on the topic of the law of the United States hosted by FindLaw. The website is no longer adding content, having published its last entry in August 2011. Before then, Writ published at least one new column by one of its regular columnists every business day, and frequently posted a second column by a guest columnist. The regular columnists were all notable attorneys. Almost all contributors are law professors; some are former law clerks from the U.S. Supreme Court; some are past or present federal prosecutors; one is a former Counsel to the President; one is a novelist, and one is the current director of the Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program of Human Rights Watch. The guest columnists also tend to be law professors or seasoned attorneys. When the website was still producing new content, columnists commented both on notable ongoing court cases and recent court decisions, as well as on current events.

Writ also published occasional book reviews, on books of both legal and more general interest; the book reviewers were likewise academically inclined attorneys.

Writ is free, and maintains all of its material from its inception in a free archive.

Although Writ is known mainly among legal circles, its columnists tend to be prolific authors who reach a broad audience. Many have published books as well as frequent articles and op-eds in newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, U.S. News & World Report, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Slate. One Writ columnist, Marci Hamilton, was the first guest on The Daily Show in its new studio in 2005; columnist Edward Lazarus also appeared on The Daily Show in 2006.

Writ is available online, but has published just two columns since December 30, 2010.