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im·mu·ni·ty /i-'myü-nə-tē/ n pl -ties [Latin immunitas, from immunis exempt from public service, exempt, from in- non- + -munis (from munia services)]1: exemption from a duty or liability that is granted by law to a person or class of personsa defendant may not take the stand in his own behalf and then claim immunity from cross-examination — W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.; also: the affirmative defense of having such an exemptionabsolute immunity: immunity from all personal civil liability without limits or conditions (as a requirement of good faith) compare qualified immunity in this entrycharitable immunity: immunity from civil liability esp. for negligent torts that is granted to a charitable or nonprofit organization (as a hospital)constitutional immunity: immunity (as from a tax) that is granted or created by a constitution (as the U.S. Constitution)corporate immunity: immunity from personal liability for tortious acts that is granted to an officer of a corporation who acted in good faith and within the course of his or her duties see also business judgment rule compare piercedip·lo·mat·ic immunity: immunity (as from taxes or prosecution) granted to a diplomatdiscovery immunity: immunity (2)discretionary immunity: qualified immunity from civil liability for tortious acts or omissions that arise from a government employee's discretionary acts performed as part of the employee's duties see also the federal tort claims act in the important laws section◇ The Federal Tort Claims Act includes an additional requirement of acting in good faith for the discretionary immunity granted to the federal government.executive immunity: immunity granted to officers of the executive branch of government from personal liability for tortious acts or omissions done in the course of carrying out their duties◇ While the president's executive immunity is absolute, the immunity of other federal executive officials is qualified.governmental immunity: discretionary immunity granted to a governmental unit (as an agency) or its employees; broadly: sovereign immunity in this entryjudicial immunity: absolute immunity from civil liability that is granted to judges and other court officers (as prosecutors and grand juries) and quasi-judicial officials for tortious acts or omissions done within the scope of their jurisdiction or authoritylegislative immunity: absolute immunity from civil liability that is granted to legislators for tortious acts or omissions done in the course of legislative activities see also speech or debate clauseofficial immunity: discretionary immunity from personal liability that is granted to public officers for tortious acts and omissions compare governmental immunity in this entryqualified immunity: immunity from civil liability that is conditioned or limited (as by a requirement of good faith or due care); specif: official immunity from damages for acts that violate another's civil rights that is granted 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 see also civil rights act in the important laws sectionsovereign immunity: the absolute immunity of a sovereign government (as a state) from being sued see also federal tort claims act in the important laws section amendment xi to the constitution in the back matter◇ For an action to be brought against a state or the federal government, sovereign immunity must be waived by the government.trans·ac·tion·al immunity /tran-'zak-shə-nəl-, -'sak-/: immunity from criminal prosecution granted to a witness for an offense related to his or her compelled testimony — see also use immunity in this entryuse immunity: immunity granted to a witness in a criminal case that prevents the use of the witness's compelled testimony against that witness in a criminal prosecution◇ Transactional and use immunity are granted to preserve the constitutional protection against self-incrimination. The states grant either form of this immunity, while the federal government grants only use immunity. A witness with use immunity may still be prosecuted, but only based on evidence not gathered from the protected testimony.2: a usu. statutory prohibition that excludes specific documents or information from discovery – called also discovery immunity;
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
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noun
absolution, acquittal, charter, commutation, discharge, exception, exculpation, exemption, exemption from punishment, franchise, freedom, freedom from exemption, freedom from obligation, freedom from prosecution, immunitas, liberation, liberty, license, nonliability, privilege, protection, release, release from charge, release from duty, relief, reprieve, respite, safety from prosecution, special privilege, vacatio
associated concepts: absolute immunity, complete immunity, derivative immunity, full transactional immunity, full waiver, governmental immunity, immunity from arrest, immunity from prosecution, immunity from service of process, limited immunity, limited waiver, partial immunity, privileges and immunities, qualified immunity, state immunity, transactional immunity, use and derivative immunity, use immunity, waiver of immunity
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index
dispensation (exception), exclusion, exemption, franchise (license), impunity, privilege, protection, release, resistance, respite (reprieve), sanction (permission), security (safety), tolerance
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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Under Section 20 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 a trade union may be immune from legal liability for a tort (a civil wrong against another party) for inducing or threatening to break a contract (i.e. an employment contract between the employer and employee) if done in contemplation or furtherance of a legitimate trade dispute. Immunity can be lost under certain specified circumstances.
Easyform Glossary of Law Terms. — UK law terms.
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n.Exemption or protection from something such as prosecution, duty, or penalty.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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freedom from obligation or duty, especially exemption from tax, duty, legal liability, etc.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
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Exemption from penalties, payments, or legal requirements, granted by authorities or statutes. Generally there are four types of immunity at law:1) a promise not to prosecute for a crime in exchange for information or testimony in a criminal matter, granted by the prosecutors, a judge, a grand jury, or an investigating legislative committee;2) public officials' protection from liability for their decisions (like a city manager or member of a public hospital board)3) governmental (or sovereign) immunity, which protects government agencies from lawsuits unless the government agreed to be sued;4) diplomatic immunity which excuses foreign ambassadors from most U.S. criminal laws.Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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n.1 An exemption from a duty or penalty.2 A permanent status, as for a diplomat, exempting one from being sued or prosecuted for certain actions.3 A special status, granted by a prosecutor, exempting a witness from being prosecuted for the acts to which he or she testifies.@ governmental immunity=>> sovereign immunity.@ sovereign immunityThe doctrine (subject to certain exceptions) that a government may not be sued in its own courts or in courts of another nation or level of government; many limitations on this doctrine apply and vary from state to state. Sometimes referred to as governmental immunity.=>> immunity.@ transactional immunityA grant of immunity to a witness by a prosecutor that exempts the witness from being prosecuted for the acts about which the witness will testify.=>> immunity.@ use immunityA grant of immunity to a witness by a prosecutor, under which the prosecutor promises not to use the witness' testimony against him or her, but reserves the right to prosecute the witness for the underlying action.=>> immunity.@
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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Exemption from performing duties that the law generally requires other citizens to perform, or from a penalty or burden that the law generally places upon other citizens.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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Exemption from performing duties that the law generally requires other citizens to perform, or from a penalty or burden that the law generally places upon other citizens.II Grant by the court, which assures someone will not face prosecution in return for providing criminal evidence.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
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n.exemption from penalties, payments or legal requirements, granted by authorities or statutes. Generally there are three types of immunity at law: a) a promise not to prosecute for a crime in exchange for information or testimony in a criminal matter, granted by the prosecutors, a judge, a grand jury or an investigating legislative committee; b) public officials' protection from liability for their decisions (like a city manager or member of a public hospital board); c) governmental (or sovereign) immunity, which protects government agencies from lawsuits unless the government agreed to be sued; d) diplomatic immunity which excuses foreign ambassadors from most U.S. criminal laws.See also: governmental immunity
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
