Except as provided in § 2.2-3713, application for a writ of mandamus or a writ of prohibition shall be on petition verified by oath, after the party against whom the writ is prayed has been served with a copy of the petition and notice of the intended application a reasonable time before such application is made.
Code 1950, § 8-704; 1977, c. 617; 2009, c. 634.