Sovereign Immunity means what?

• A. Neither the government or any individual who is employed by the government can be held liable for negligence
• B. The government alone is immune from liability
• C. Individuals can be liable when government is not
• D. Immunity applies only to federal employees

Answer: (A)

Sovereign immunity means the government cannot be sued for negligence without its consent. This concept carries to the individuals who work for the government as well when they are acting within official duties, so, in general, neither the government nor its employees can be held liable for negligence. That’s why this option is the best fit: it reflects the broad shield against liability that sovereign immunity provides. In real-world practice, there are specific statutes and narrow exceptions that waive this immunity for certain claims, but the basic idea remains that government and its staff are protected from negligence lawsuits in ordinary circumstances. The other statements aren’t as accurate because they either imply only the government is immune, or allow individual liability while the government remains protected, or limit immunity to federal employees, which doesn’t align with how sovereign immunity is understood in the broader context.