In which TNG episode is Data's sentience put on trial?

Data’s sentience is put on trial in “The Measure of a Man.”

The TNG episode “The Measure of a Man” centers on a legal hearing to determine whether Lieutenant Commander Data is a sentient being or Starfleet property. Cyberneticist Bruce Maddox wants to disassemble Data and use the procedure to create more androids, but Data refuses because the experiment could destroy his memory and identity. Maddox argues that Data has no legal right to choose.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard represents Data in the hearing, while Commander William Riker is compelled to argue for Maddox. Riker’s demonstration of Data’s shutdown switch appears devastating because it shows how easily the android can be deactivated. Picard then shifts the case toward the deeper question of consciousness, arguing that Data is intelligent, self-aware, and capable of making meaningful choices.

Judge Advocate General Phillipa Louvois ultimately rules that Data has the right to refuse Maddox’s procedure. The episode is often remembered as a courtroom drama, but its significance extends to questions about artificial intelligence, personhood, autonomy, and slavery. “The Quality of Life,” another TNG episode involving intelligent machines, is a frequent mix-up, but it is not the episode in which Data’s own legal status is decided.