What is "qualified immunity"?

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that protects government officials, including law enforcement officers, from being held personally liable for constitutional violations—such as the deprivation of an individual's rights—if those rights were not "clearly established" at the time of the alleged infringement. This means that for a plaintiff to successfully pursue a claim against a government official, they must demonstrate that the official's actions violated a constitutional or statutory right that was already clearly defined in precedent.

This doctrine exists to balance the need for accountability in policing and government actions with the necessity for officials to perform their duties without the constant fear of being sued for every decision they make, particularly in complex and rapidly evolving situations. Qualified immunity encourages effective public service, ensuring that officials can operate without excess hesitation, provided they act within the bounds of established law.

The other options do not accurately describe the nature of qualified immunity. Some suggest that it provides blanket immunity or allows for unaccountable actions by officials, which oversimplifies its purpose and undermines the legal standards that are in place to ensure that officials can still be held accountable in situations where established rights are violated.