Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Intelligible Differentia
Constitutional & Public Law Doctrines
Definition
The first prong of the reasonable classification test under Article 14, requiring that any classification created by a statute must be based on a clear, discernible, and objective characteristic that distinguishes grouped persons from others left out.
Example
A tax statute creating separate tax brackets for corporations earning above ₹500 crore versus small startups uses an intelligible differentia based on annual turnover.