what is writ petition

A writ petition is a formal written order issued by a court or other body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction. It is a directive from a higher court that orders a lower court to take action in accordance with the law. Writs are generally reserved for situations where there is no other legal recourse or the delay of waiting for an appeal will cause severe hardship. Writs of mandate are issued to correct an abuse of discretion or to compel the performance of a lower court for a nondiscretionary duty to act, while writs of prohibition are issued to prevent a threatened judicial act in excess of a court’s jurisdiction. Unlike appeals, writ petitions are generally heard as a matter of discretion, and they are governed by equitable principles. Appellate courts generally grant writ relief only when the petitioner has no other plain, speedy, and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law. Filing a writ petition can be a complicated process as the petitioner must convince the superior court that the petition is justified and that what they are requesting is significant enough to warrant their attention.