The Writ is a legal document that is issued by a court of law. It is an order from the court to a person or entity, requiring them to do something or to refrain from doing something. The Writ is also known as a 'MANDATE' or a 'writ of mandamus'. It is used to enforce a court's decision or to compel someone to comply with a court order. In the crossword, the solution for the term THE WRIT is DROP, which is an acronym for 'Document Requiring Obedience of Parties'.