What legal philosophy traditionally immunizes public entities from civil liability?

Sovereign immunity is the legal philosophy that traditionally grants public entities protection from civil liability, meaning that they cannot be sued without their consent. This principle is rooted in the idea that the state, or sovereign, cannot be sued by individuals as a way to protect government functions and functions performed by public officials. Under sovereign immunity, if a government entity is performing a governmental function, it is generally shielded from lawsuits that arise from its actions.

This doctrine provides a balance between the need to hold government accountable for wrongdoing and the necessity to maintain public resources and governance without the fear of constant litigation. Public entities include state governments, municipalities, and, in certain contexts, their employees and agents acting within the scope of their employment.

In contrast, other forms of immunity mentioned, such as qualified immunity, typically apply to individual public officials to shield them from liability for civil damages if their actions did not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights. Absolute immunity is broader and protects certain officials, like judges or legislators, from all civil liability for actions taken while performing their official duties. Judicial immunity specifically protects judges from being sued for their judicial acts. These doctrines serve different purposes and contexts within the legal framework, which is why sovereign immunity is the correct choice for this question regarding