What type of immunity do ministerial and administrative duties enjoy?

• A. Absolute
• B. Immunity from prosecution
• C. Qualified
• D. No immunity

Answer: (C)

Ministerial and administrative duties are shielded by a limited form of protection: qualified immunity. This means officials are protected from civil liability for many actions taken in the normal course of their official duties, as long as they acted within their authority, in good faith, and without gross negligence or malice. The protection recognizes that government work requires timely decisions and ongoing operations, but it isn’t unlimited. If an official acts outside the scope of their duties, or engages in clearly improper, criminal, or highly negligent conduct, the immunity does not apply and accountability can follow. Absolute immunity would prevent any accountability in all cases, and immunity from prosecution or no immunity would be inappropriate or too extreme for routine governance, so qualified immunity is the best fit.