The US law doctrine, protecting police and other public officials from lawsuits, is not going to be reexamined by the country’s Supreme Court. The decision comes amid nation-wide protesting against police brutality.
The US Supreme Court issued an unsigned order on Monday announcing its decision to decline hearing any further cases that seek to reconsider the doctrine of ‘qualified immunity’. According to the doctrine, a police officer cannot be personally liable – and thus cannot receive a civil suit – unless their actions violate “clearly established” law or court rulings. Conceptually, the idea was to shield government officials from frivolous legal action, especially when it comes to cases in which police must make split-second life-or-death decisions. The framework has been criticized for setting the bar too high for proving police officers’ personal liability for their actions.
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