Qualified Immunity

Libertarians generally oppose qualified immunity, which is a legal doctrine that shields government officials, including police officers, from being held personally liable for actions taken while performing their official duties.

 

Libertarians believe that individuals, including government officials, should be held accountable for their actions and should not be given special legal protections that shield them from accountability. They argue that qualified immunity creates a culture of impunity, where government officials are less likely to be held responsible for their actions, which can lead to abuses of power and violations of individual rights.

 

From a libertarian perspective, qualified immunity undermines the principle of individual responsibility, which is a core tenet of a free society. Libertarians believe that government officials should be held to the same standards of behavior as private citizens, and that if they violate the rights of others, they should be held accountable and face the consequences of their actions.

 

Therefore, many libertarians argue that qualified immunity should be abolished or significantly reformed to ensure that government officials are held accountable for their actions and that individual rights are protected.