What principle highlights the importance of equality before the law?

The principle that highlights the importance of equality before the law is the rule of law. This concept asserts that everyone is subject to the law, which must be applied equally and fairly to all individuals, regardless of their status or power. It signifies that no one is above the law, and that laws should govern a nation, as opposed to arbitrary decisions by individual government officials. The rule of law ensures that individual rights are protected and that justice is administered without bias or favoritism.

Other principles, such as equity, can relate to the fairness of outcomes but do not directly stipulate equality before the law in the same way. The fairness doctrine and aspects of the justice system also touch on the administration of justice but are broader concepts that do not solely encapsulate the foundational idea of law's equality as defined by the rule of law.