"It is important to note that Congress intended to bring the bankruptcy courts within the purview of the All Writs Statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1651, by amending 28 U.S.C. § 451 at the time the Code was adopted. The All Writs Statute [or All Writs Act], as the name implies, authorizes courts to issue writs of all kinds, including writs of habeas corpus. It is apparent from the legislative history just recited, that writs of all kinds, including writs of habeas corpus, were considered by Congress when it adopted § 105(a). If Congress had intended to limit the court's ability to order a prisoner's release to the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254, it surely would have so indicated. Instead, Congress authorized the bankruptcy courts to issue any order necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of the Code."
[Note: although this interpretation of the All Writs Act appears overly broad by today's standards, the passage does demonstrate the intensity with which all courts tend to guard their power to issue writs].
