What Is a Writ of Mandate?
A writ of mandate is a court order handed down by a higher court for the purpose of compelling a lower court, a public authority, or a government agency to do something. Alternatively, the writ may require the court, authority, or agency to refrain from doing something. Essentially, the party requesting the writ is arguing that the other party has a legal duty to perform in a certain way but is not doing it. As a result, the requesting party has been denied a legal right. A writ of mandate is also called a petition for a writ of mandamus.
