Quo warranto
Quo warranto (kwō` wor*ran"to)
[So called from the Law Latin words quo warranto (by what authority), in the original Latin form of the writ. See Which, and Warrant.]
(Law) A writ brought before a proper tribunal, to inquire by what warrant a person or a corporation acts, or exercises certain powers. — Blackstone
An information in the nature of a quo warranto is now common as a substitute for the writ. Wharton.