On this day in 1970, Sam Sheppard, a doctor convicted of murdering his pregnant wife in a trial that caused a media frenzy in the 1950s, dies of liver failure. After a decade in prison, Sheppard was released following a re-trial.
Official Immunity Law and Legal Definition. Official immunity is a discretionary immunity from personal liability that is granted to public officers for tortious acts and omissions. It is a personal immunity accorded to a public official from liability to anyone injured by actions that are the consequence of exerting official authority.
The offices usually recognised as attracting this immunity are Head of State or Head of Government, senior cabinet members, Foreign Minister, and Defence Minister. Such officers are immune from prosecution for everything they do during their time in office.