Editing Certiorari (section)

=== English prerogative writ ===
In English [[common law]], ''certiorari'' was a supervisory writ, serving to keep "all inferior jurisdictions within the bounds of their authority ... [protecting] the liberty of the subject, by speedy and summary interposition".<ref>3 Wm. Blackstone, ''Commentaries on the Laws of England'' 42 (1765).</ref> In England and Wales, the Court of [[Court of King's Bench (England)|King's Bench]] was tasked with the duty of supervising all lower courts, and had power to issue all writs necessary for the discharge of that duty; the justices of that Court appeared to have no discretion as to whether it was heard, as long as an application for a bill of ''certiorari'' met established criteria, as it arose from their duty of supervision.

As time went on, ''certiorari'' evolved into an important [[rule of law]] remedy:

{{quote|Certiorari is used to bring up into the High Court the decision of some inferior tribunal or authority in order that it may be investigated. If the decision does not pass the test, it is quashed – that is to say, it is declared completely invalid, so that no one need respect it.

The underlying policy is that all inferior courts and authorities have only limited jurisdiction or powers and must be kept within their legal bounds. This is the concern of the Crown, for the sake of orderly administration of justice, but it is a private complaint which sets the Crown in motion.<ref>H.W.R. Wade & C.F. Forsyth, ''Administrative Law'', Eighth Edition, p. 591.</ref>}}