The immunity that protects building officials from liability for their discretionary acts is called?

• A. Absolute Immunity
• B. Sovereign Immunity
• C. Voluntary Immunity
• D. Municipal Immunity

Answer: (A)

Discretionary decisions made by building officials in enforcing codes are protected by absolute immunity. This principle shields officials from civil liability for judgments and choices they make in the course of performing their official duties, as long as they stay within their authority and act in good faith. It allows them to interpret codes, approve or deny permits, and pursue enforcement actions without the fear of being sued for every decision. Sovereign immunity covers government entities more generally, and municipal immunity is a related but different concept; voluntary immunity isn’t a standard doctrine here. So, the protection for an official’s discretionary acts is known as absolute immunity.