Good cause is an expression commonly used in legal settings which is used to describe a situation in which certain conditions are met that legally allow an action or decision to be taken. Generally, when individuals or entities are granted permission to do something, it must be because the party can demonstrate good cause for having done so.
In the United States, for example, employers are obligated to provide employees with reasonable accommodations for certain protected classes, such as individuals with a disability. In order to take an action that would otherwise be restricted or prohibited, a company must show that allowing the employee to take the action is justified by good cause. This may be because the action will help the employee do their job better or because it is necessary to meet medical needs.
Good cause may also be used in the context of common law. For instance, good cause can be used to describe why a court may grant a variance from certain laws or policies. An example of this could be when a court grants a variance to allow a business to operate past the usual hour limit set by local zoning ordinances. The business would have to demonstrate that they had good cause for the request, such as an increase in demand beyond the normal business hours.
In summary, good cause is generally used in a legal context to describe a situation in which a particular action is allowed because it is deemed to be necessary or beneficial. It is used in many contexts, such as employee accommodations and zoning variances, to help make decisions about special circumstances.