constitutional law · defense
Judicial immunity is a legal doctrine that protects judges from liability for judicial actions performed within their official capacity. This immunity is intended to ensure that judges can make decisions free from the threat of personal liability.
The act performed by the judge must be a judicial one, meaning it is a function of their official role.
What to prove: It must be shown that the actions in question were taken in the course of performing judicial duties.
Judicial immunity applies unless the judge acted in the complete absence of jurisdiction or with malice.
What to prove: It must be demonstrated that the judge was acting within the scope of their jurisdiction and not with intent to harm.
The defendant (judge) bears the burden of proving that the actions were judicial and conducted without malice, which is evaluated under a standard of reasonable belief.
Judicial immunity often appears in exam hypotheticals related to a judge's controversial rulings; look for nuances involving the judge's authority and conduct.