Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Substantive Equality (Article 14)
Constitutional & Public Law Doctrines
Definition
The constitutional approach moving beyond formal equality ("treat everyone identically") to recognize historical and systemic disadvantages, mandating affirmative action and reasonable classification to place marginalized classes on equal footing (State of Kerala v. N.M. Thomas).
Example
A State establishes reservation quotas and marks relaxations for historically oppressed communities in public university admissions; this affirmative action is an enforcement of substantive equality.