What is the function of a writ of certiorari?

What is the function of a writ of certiorari?

• A. To issue a new law
• B. To request that a lower court file be reviewed by the Supreme Court
• C. To imprison a defendant
• D. To grant pardons

Answer: (B)

A writ of certiorari is a way for a higher court to review the decision of a lower court. When the Supreme Court receives a certiorari petition, it requests the lower court’s records and then decides whether to hear the case. This is discretionary—the Court chooses which cases to review, focusing on legal errors or important questions of law. It is not about creating new laws, imprisoning someone, or granting pardons. So the function described—that a higher court review a lower court's file—is the correct idea.

A writ of certiorari is a way for a higher court to review the decision of a lower court. When the Supreme Court receives a certiorari petition, it requests the lower court’s records and then decides whether to hear the case. This is discretionary—the Court chooses which cases to review, focusing on legal errors or important questions of law. It is not about creating new laws, imprisoning someone, or granting pardons. So the function described—that a higher court review a lower court's file—is the correct idea.