WRIT¹ DE ODIO ET ATIA, Engl. law. This writ is probably obsolete², and superseded³ by the writ of habeas corpus. It was anciently directed to the sheriff, commanding him to inquire whether a prisoner charged with murder was committed upon just cause or suspicion, or merely propter odium et atiam, for hatred⁴ and ill-will; and, if upon the inquisition due cause of suspicion did not appear, then there issued another writ for the sheriff to admit him to bail⁵, 3 Bl. Com. 128; Com. Dig. Imprisonment⁶, L 3.

WRIT OF COVENANTS⁸, practice. A writ which lies where a party claims damage for breach⁹ of covenant⁷, i. e. of a promise under seal.

WRIT OF DEBT, practice. A writ which lies where the party claims the re-covery of a debt, i. e. a liquidated¹⁰ or certain sum of money alleged¹¹ to be due to him. This is debt in the debet, which is the principal and only common form. There is another species mentioned in the books, called the debt in the detinet, which lies for the specific recovery of goods, under a contract to deliver them. 1 Chit. Pl. 101.

WRIT OF DETINUE, practice. A writ which lies where a party claims the spe-cific recovery of goods and chattels¹², or deeds and writings detained from him. This is seldom used: trover is the more frequent remedy, in cases where it may be brought.

WRIT OF DOWER, practice. A writ which lies for a widow ciaiming the specific recovery of her dower, no part having been yet assigned to her. It is usually called a writ of dower unde nihil habet. 3 Chit. Pl. 393; Booth, 166.

2. There is another species, called a writ of right of dower, which applies to the particular case where the widow has received a part of her dower from the tenant¹³ himself, and of land lying in the same town in which she claims the residue¹⁴. Booth, 166; Glanv. lib. 6, c. 4, 5. This latter writ is seldom used in practice.