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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>377733</law_id><section_number>8.01-647</section_number><catch_line>Defense; how made</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="12" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="55" identifier="25">Extraordinary Writs</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="2" identifier="2">Mandamus and Prohibition</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> may file a <span class="dictionary">demurrer</span> or answer on <span class="dictionary">oath</span> to the <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, or both. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> may permit amendments of the <span class="dictionary">pleadings</span> as in other cases.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 8-707; 1977, c. 617.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
