warrant

A warrant is a formal authorization or command issued by a legally constituted authority (judge, magistrate, government agency) that permits, requires, or compels a specific action — such as an arrest warrant authorizing the detention of a person, or a search warrant permitting entry into premises. It is not the authority itself but the documented instrument that makes the authority actionable by third parties. Parameters: (1) issuing authority — the office or official empowered to grant the warrant; (2) scope — the precise action authorized and its limits; (3) duration — the time window during which the warrant is valid; (4) subject — the person, place, or property targeted. Persistence mechanism: judicial records, institutional archives, digital case-management databases, and chain-of-custody logs ensure warrants survive their immediate execution and remain auditable. [formal: warrantum | substrate: behavior | horizon: a moment | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.41]