Constitutional Safeguards For Legislators: A Closer Look At Legislative Privileges
- IJLLR Journal
- Mar 28
- 1 min read
Ayushi Srivastava, Pratibha Patel & Shaikh Farheen
ABSTRACT
Parliamentary privileges are special rights, immunities and exemptions enjoyed by the members of the Parliament and their committees. Under these privileges, the members of Parliament are exempted from any civil liability (but not criminal liability) for any statement made or act done in the course of their duties. At the heart of legislative privileges lies the need to protect lawmakers from being hindered by others while performing their crucial functions. This protection primarily shields them from unwarranted interference from the executive, judiciary, and individuals outside the legislature. This article aims to highlights the meaning of legislative privileges along with the detailed analysis with respect to the evolution of this aspect in India. The authors further traces the key notes of the legislative privileges as enshrined under the Constitution of India along with discussing the relation between these privileges and fundamental rights. A comparative aspect with the countries like UK and USA helps to understand the contemporary challenges and relevancy of these privileges.
Keywords: Parliament, Liability, Immunity, Legislature, Rights, Freedom etc
