Writ vs. Summons — What's the Difference?

In common law, a writ (Anglo-Saxon gewrit, Latin breve) is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs, and subpoenas are common types of writ, but many forms exist and have existed.

A summons (also known in England and Wales as a claim form and in the Australian state of New South Wales as a court attendance notice (CAN)) is a legal document issued by a court (a judicial summons) or by an administrative agency of government (an administrative summons) for various purposes.

A form of written command in the name of a court or other legal authority to act, or abstain from acting, in a particular way

A call by an authority to appear, come, or do something.

A piece or body of writing.

An order or process directing a person, especially a defendant in a case, to appear in court.

Archaic past participle of write

An order or process directing a person to report to court as a potential juror.

(Law) A written order issued by a court, commanding the party to whom it is addressed to perform or cease performing a specified act.

To order to appear in or report to court by means of a summons

Writings

To serve with a summons.

A past tense and a past participle of write.

A call to do something, especially to come.

(legal) A written order, issued by a court, ordering someone to do (or stop doing) something.

(legal) A notice summoning someone to appear in court, as a defendant, juror or witness.

Authority, power to enforce compliance.

(military) A demand for surrender.

(archaic) That which is written; writing.

(transitive) To serve someone with a summons.

(archaic) write

The act of summoning; a call by authority, or by the command of a superior, to appear at a place named, or to attend to some duty.

(archaic) write

A warning or citation to appear in court; a written notification signed by the proper officer, to be served on a person, warning him to appear in court at a day specified, to answer to the plaintiff, testify as a witness, or the like.

That which is written; writing; scripture; - applied especially to the Scriptures, or the books of the Old and New testaments; as, sacred writ.

A demand to surrender.

An instrument in writing, under seal, in an epistolary form, issued from the proper authority, commanding the performance or nonperformance of some act by the person to whom it is directed; as, a writ of entry, of error, of execution, of injunction, of mandamus, of return, of summons, and the like.

To summon.

(law) a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer

A request to be present;

An order to appear in person at a given place and time

A writ issued by authority of law; usually compels the defendant's attendance in a civil suit; failure to appear results in a default judgment against the defendant

Call in an official matter, such as to attend court