Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Doctrine of Proportionality
Constitutional & Public Law Doctrines
Definition
A four-step analytical framework applied by constitutional courts (Modern Dental College and Puttaswamy) to evaluate whether an infringement of a Fundamental Right is justified: (1) Legitimate goal, (2) Suitability/Rational connection, (3) Necessity (least restrictive alternative), and (4) Balancing of societal benefits versus rights lost.
Example
A mandatory state biometric collection policy that collects excessive biological samples (such as blood or DNA) to verify simple grocery subsidies fails the proportionality test because less invasive measures exist.