#Diplomatic immunity laws license#

If immunity is not waived, prosecution cannot be undertaken. The Department of State also asks the home country to waive immunity of the alleged offender so that the complaint can be moved to the courts. representatives in other countries could receive harsher treatment.In the United States, if a person with immunity is alleged to have committed a crime or faces a civil lawsuit, the department of state alerts the government that the diplomat works for. If the United States were to punish a visiting diplomat without sufficient grounds, U.S. diplomats work in host countries less protective of individual rights. The United States has had a tendency to be generous when granting diplomatic immunity to visiting diplomats because a large number of U.S. The Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978 follows the principles introduced by the Vienna conventions. The lowest level of protection is granted to embassy and consular employees, who receive immunity only for acts that are part of their official duties-for example, they cannot be forced to testify in court about the actions of the people they work with. Diplomatic Agents and their immediate families have the most protection and are immune from criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. In the United States, several levels of immunity are granted: the higher the rank, the greater the immunity.

#Diplomatic immunity laws license#

However, diplomats are still expected to respect and follow the laws and regulations of their host countries immunity is not a license to commit crimes.

Diplomatic immunity allows foreign representatives to work in host countries without fully understanding all the customs of that country. A principle of International Law that provides foreign diplomats with protection from legal action in the country in which they work.Įstablished in large part by the Vienna conventions, diplomatic immunity is granted to individuals depending on their rank and the amount of immunity they need to carry out their duties without legal harassment.