What does the legal term 'certiorari' mean?

Answer 1

A writ of certiorari is an order that a higher court issues to a lower court in order to review the decision and proceedings of the lower court and determine whether there were any irregularities.

Answer 2

Certiorari is a Latin word that means "to be informed." A writ of certiorari is an appellate court order requesting the lower court send up the records for a case accepted on appeal. The term is most often associated with the US Supreme Court. Certiorari is an extraordinary prerogative writ granted in cases that otherwise would not be entitled to review. A petition for certiorari is made to a superior appellate court, which may exercise its discretion in accepting a case for review, while an appeal of a case from a lower court to an intermediate appellate court, or from an intermediate appellate court to a superior appellate court, is regulated by statute.