Inequity means injustice or unfairness. In a legal context, inequity signifies injustices that are sufficiently recognized to justify a remedy. For example, in an employment context, an inequity of compensation or treatment based on protected characteristics can form the basis of an employment discrimination claim.
Inequity is also used in judicial decisions as a synonym for unfairness like “the scandal and inequity of inconsistent verdicts” in Zafiro v. United States (1993). The Supreme Court, in Landis v. N. Am. Co. (1936), that a party requesting a stay of a judicial decision must demonstrate “a clear case of hardship or inequity” to be successful.
[Last updated in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]