IMMUNITY (from Lat. immunis, not subject to a munus or public service)

This article appears in Volume V14, Page 339 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: I27-INV

IMMUNITY (from Lat. immunis, not subject to a munus or public service) , a general term for exemption from liability, principally used in the legal sense discussed below, but also in

recent

RECENT

times in

pathology

PATHOLOGY (from Gr. raBos, suffering)

(for which see BACTERIOLOGY). In international law the term (" not serving," "not subject") implies exemption from the

jurisdiction

JURISDICTION
JURISDICTION, CRIMINAL LAW, DIVORCE

of the state which otherwise exercises

jurisdiction

JURISDICTION
JURISDICTION, CRIMINAL LAW, DIVORCE

where the immunity arises. It is thus applied to the exceptional position granted to sovereigns and chiefs of states generally, and their direct representatives in the states to which they are accredited.
Under ExTERRITORIALITY is treated the inviolability of embassies and legations and the application of the material side of the doctrine of immunity. As a right appertaining to the persons of those who enjoy it, the doctrine has grown out of the necessity for sovereigns of respecting each other's persons in their common

interest

INTEREST

. To be able to negotiate without danger of arrest or interference of any kind with their persons was the only

condition

CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

upon which sovereigns would have been able to meet and discuss their

joint

JOINT (through Fr. from Lat. junctum, jungere, to join)

interests. With the development of states as independent entities and of intercourse between them and their " nationals," the

work

WORK

of diplomatic missions increased to such an extent that instead of having merely occasional ambassadors as at the beginning, states found it expedient to have

resident

RESIDENT

representatives with a permanent residence. Hence the sovereign's inviolability becomes vested in the person of the sovereign's delegate, and with it as a necessary corollary the exterritoriality of his residence. Out of the further expansion of the

work

WORK

of diplomatic missions came duplication of the personnel and classes of diplomatic secretaries, who as forming part of the embassy or legation also h d to be covered by the diplomatic immunity.
In no branch of international intercourse h states shown so laudable a respect for tradition as in the case of this immunity, and this in spite of the hardship which frequently arises for private citizens through unavoidable dealings with members of embassies and legations. The Institute of International Law (see PEACE) at their

Cambridge

session in 1895 drew up the following rules,' which may be taken to be the only precise statement of theory on the subject, for the guidance of foreign offices in dealing with it:

End of Article: IMMUNITY (from Lat. immunis, not subject to a munus or public service)

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/I27_INV/IMMUNITY_from_Lat_immunis_not_.html">
IMMUNITY (from Lat. immunis, not subject to a m...
</a>

(Previous)
IMMORTALITY (Lat. in-, not, mortalis, mortal, f...

(Next)
IMOLA (anc. Forum Cornelii)

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email