Habeas data
From Latin American law
Constitutional and public law
What it means
A constitutional remedy that lets a person see the personal information a public or private body holds about them, and ask for it to be corrected or deleted.
Why it travels badly
The name echoes habeas corpus, but the right is about information, not the body. In Europe and the US, similar rights are found in data-protection and privacy legislation, not in a constitutional remedy.
How other systems say it
habeas data (Article 43 of the Constitution)
Added in 1994. A person may sue to learn what data is kept about them and have false data corrected.
habeas data (Article 5, LXXII)
A constitutional action to obtain and correct information held in public records.
European Union
right of access and rectification (GDPR Articles 15 and 16)
A right under data-protection law, enforced through the regulator and the courts.
Privacy Act of 1974
Gives individuals the right to see and correct records that federal agencies hold about them.
Tip for translators and students
Do not translate 'habeas data' literally. Say 'a right to access and correct one's personal data'.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
TheLawToKnow Tools’s glossary is an educational overview of the main differences between legal systems. It is not legal advice.
