“Certiorari” (pronounced ser-shee-uh-RARE-ee or ser-shee-uh-REE) is a Latin word meaning “to be informed of” or “to be made certain.”
In U.S. law it usually refers to a writ of certiorari, which is:
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A formal order from a higher court telling a lower court to send up the record of a case so the higher court can review it.
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Most famously, it’s the process the U.S. Supreme Court uses to decide which cases it will hear. When someone “petitions for certiorari,” they’re asking the Supreme Court to review a lower court’s decision.
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If the Court “grants certiorari” (often just shortened to “grants cert”), it agrees to hear the case. If it “denies cert,” the lower court’s decision stands.
Think of it as the Supreme Court’s way of saying, “Send us the file—we’re taking a look.”