Just cause is a concept usually found within the field of employment law that typically refers to whether an employer had a good reason or “just cause” to terminate an employee. This is a particularly relevant standard when it comes to the termination of public employees or officials, such as public-school teachers, police officers, or city officials. Just cause is also important when determining whether an employee qualifies for unemployment compensation since, in many states, an employee that was fired for just cause is ineligible to receive such benefits on the basis of their termination.
In California, just cause may be used in reference to landlord-tenant agreements based in property law in determining whether a landlord had “just cause” to evict a tenant. Under The California Tenant Protection Act of 2019, a landlord is required to have a “just cause” in order to terminate a tenancy in California.
Just cause may also be used in connection with child support cases or controversies in some states, in that an individual who fails to pay child support without showing “just cause” for their not doing so may be found both civilly and criminally liable. This is illustrated and discussed in the 2022 case of Kellybrew v. State.
In states such as Louisiana and Kansas, just cause may also be used in connection to insurance disputes, since insurers must show “just cause” as to why they chose not to indemnify an insured individual in a specific case, as in Pacific Employers Ins. Co. v. P.B. Hoidale Co., Inc.
[Last updated in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]