qualified immunity

noun

law : immunity from civil liability that is conditioned or limited (as by a requirement of good faith or due care)

especially : immunity from lawsuits that is granted to public officials (such as police officers) for acts that violate someone's civil rights if it can be shown that the acts do not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would be aware

An officer conducting a search is entitled to qualified immunity where clearly established law does not show that the search violated the Fourth Amendment.

—Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223 (2009)

Wayne Jones's family won a small victory this month when the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the officers involved in his killing could not claim qualified immunity.

—Hailey Fuchs

By bypassing qualified immunity, but paying out judgments assessed against the officers, Colorado's new law ensures that victims are made whole and that good cops aren't deterred from doing their jobs.

—Nick Sibilla

Examples of qualified immunity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In June, a 9th Circuit panel overturned a lower-court decision that granted qualified immunity in an excessive force lawsuit over a fatal Oct. 31, 2019 police shooting. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 12 July 2024

In that case and three others, Lexington submitted denials and claims of immunity from civil penalty under the doctrine of qualified immunity, a legal framework that often protects individual officers. —Robert Klemko, Washington Post, 3 July 2024

Overhauling qualified immunity, which can protect law enforcement from civil lawsuits, was an issue Democrats cared deeply about but was strongly opposed by the GOP. —Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 25 May 2024

The defense of qualified immunity often shields police officers from lawsuits. —David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

qualified immunity

see immunity