Injunction

Injunction, formal written court order commanding or prohibiting any act. An injunction may be temporary, pending the outcome of a court action, or permanent, if the court's decision confirms the injunction's validity. Such writs are widely applied to prevent, for example, the misuse of property; the wrongful denial of, or cancellation of membership in, a union or other organization; the infringement of copyrights or patents; violent action in labor-management disputes; or the removal of a child from the care of a parent. Violation of an injunction is punishable as contempt of court. In Topeka, Kans., in 1954, an injunction forbade the exclusion of a black student from a segregated school.