The writ of habeas corpus primarily protects individuals from "secret arrest and imprisonment." It is a legal procedure that allows a person to challenge the legality of their detention or imprisonment. The purpose of habeas corpus is to ensure that a person is not held without sufficient cause or evidence, thereby safeguarding individual freedom and protecting against unlawful restraint by the state.
While other rights and protections, such as protection against cruel and unusual punishment, trial by jury, and fair taxation, are important elements of the legal system, they are addressed through other legal provisions and rights rather than through the writ of habeas corpus itself.