In law, immunity from tort actions enjoyed by governmental units in common-law states, sovereign immunity.
In malpractice, a doctrine providing that, despite the general proposition that a negligent act gives rise to tort liability for that act, the government, subject to certain qualifications, cannot be sued for the negligent acts of its officers, agents, or employees unless it consents to such a suit. This concept of governmental immunity had its origin in ancient common law doctrine and the principle has been firmly established that a State cannot be sued without its consent. As with charitable immunity, the trend is towards an increasing willingness of the courts to impose liability as the States and the Federal government enact statutes to waive their immunity in tort suits.