sovereign immunity

Sovereign immunity is a legal doctrine that originated in ancient common law, asserting that a sovereign government cannot be sued without its consent. This principle grants governments absolute immunity from being sued.1

While generally absolute, this immunity is not without exceptions. For instance, Congress can abrogate a state's immunity when enforcing the Fourteenth Amendment. In international law, extraterritoriality grants immunities to foreign states, international organizations, and their representatives from the jurisdiction of the country where they are present. This means they are exempt from local judicial processes and other measures of constraint. Diplomatic personnel, for example, often have immunity from prosecution in the countries where they operate, though the extent of this immunity can vary based on rank and the specific conventions in place.234