Mandamus

Quick meaning: Mandamus is a noun meaning (law) A common law prerogative writ that compels a court or government officer to perform mandatory or purely ministerial duties correctly.

Meaning

(law) A common law prerogative writ that compels a court or government officer to perform mandatory or purely ministerial duties correctly.

More Meanings

1. (transitive) To serve a writ of this kind upon.

Example Sentences

The lord is compellable by mandamus to admit the surrenderee, that is, the person to whose use the surrender is made.

And then it was moved that the court would grant a mandamus to the delegates to admit the bishop's allegations: and it was compared to the cases where they grant mandamuses to compel the granting of probates of wills or letters of administration.

A mandamus is a writ commanding the execution of an act, where otherwise justice would be obstructed, or the king's charter neglected, issuing regularly only in cases relating to the public and the government; and is therefore termed […] a prerogative writ.

I admit to all my learned friends that a Mandamus does not issue where there is another course of proceeding by which the thing can be effected; but I again state to your Lordships, that if in this case a Mandamus must not issue, there is no other proceeding that can be adopted.

Word Forms

• mandamuses
• mandamusing
• mandamused

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include writ, peremptory, order, fulfilment, mandator, mandatory.

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