Often, when people hear the word distinguish, they think of the social implications of standing out or being unique. In the world of law, however, it holds a different connotation. To distinguish in the legal world means to separate, differentiate, and make an individual distinct from another.
Consider a court case involving theft, for example. To prove that the defendant is guilty of the crime, it must be distinguished that their behavior was different from someone who took a piece of property without permission. The act of distinguishing that the defendant’s behavior was something separate, different, and distinct from others is what legally proves guilt.
In modern corporate settings, the concept of distinguishing is important when it comes to making distinctions between different roles within the organization. For instance, a manager of a company may be legally distinguished from an entry-level employee, which grants them certain privileges that the employee does not possess. Likewise, distinguishing is also used in identifying fraud to separate the legitimate activity from the fraudulent one.
Distinguishing in the legal world is a principle that is based on drawing individual distinctions in order to separate two or more entities. It is used to differentiate between individuals in matters of law, as well as used to identify the difference between legitimate and fraudulent behavior or activity.