 Mandemus, one of the five rites issued by Supreme Court under Article 32 and by High Court under Article 226. The literal meaning of the word mandemus is we command. So it is a command issued by the court to a person or body asking to perform the official duties that they have failed to or refused to perform. For your information, it can be issued against any public official, public body, a corporation, an inferior court or tribunal or government. The following scenarios are where mandemus cannot be issued. It cannot be issued against a private individual or body, against the President of India or state governors or Chief Justice of High Court acting in judicial capacity. It cannot be issued against a legislature to enact or prevent from enacting legislation to enforce departmental instructions that do not have statutory force, to enforce a contractual obligation and finally it cannot be issued when the duty is discretionary and not mandatory.