Equity

Generally, justice or fairness. Historically, equity refers to aseparate body of law developed in England in reaction to the inability of thecommon law courts, in their strict adherence to rigid writs and forms ofaction, to consider or provide a remedy for every injury. The king thereforeestablished the court of chancery to do justice between parties in cases wherethe common law would give inadequate redress. The principle of thisjurisprudence is that equity will find a way to achieve a lawful result whenlegal procedure is inadequate. Equity and law courts are now merged in mostjurisdictions, though equity jurisprudence and equitable doctrines are stillindependently viable.