Writs of error and certiorari, to reverse, vacate or modify judgments or final orders in civil cases, are abolished; but courts shall have the same power to compel complete and perfect transcripts of the proceedings containing the judgment or final order sought to be reversed, to be furnished as they heretofore had under writs of error and certiorari.
§ 980.Writs of Error and Certiorari Abolished
Chapter 15: Appeal and Error · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 980 abolishes writs of error and certiorari as devices for reversing, vacating, or modifying civil judgments and final orders, while preserving the courts' power to compel complete transcripts of the proceedings under review.
Full Text of § 980
Amendment History
R.L. 1910, § 5263.
Plain-English Summary
Oklahoma no longer uses writs of error or certiorari to overturn civil judgments — Section 980 abolishes both. Appeals now proceed through the statutory petition-in-error process set out elsewhere in this article.
The abolition doesn't touch one underlying power, though: courts keep the same authority they had under the old writs to compel a complete and perfect transcript of the proceedings containing the judgment or order under review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are writs of error still used in Oklahoma civil appeals?
No — Section 980 abolishes writs of error and certiorari as ways to reverse, vacate, or modify civil judgments and final orders.
What replaced the writ of error in Oklahoma?
The statutory petition-in-error process, which the sections of this article, including Section 990A, now govern.
Did abolishing these writs take away the court's power to demand a transcript?
No — courts keep the same power to compel a complete and perfect transcript of the proceedings that they had under the old writs.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: writs of error abolished Oklahoma12 O.S. § 980certiorari abolished Oklahoma civil casepetition in error replaces writ of error Oklahoma