What does "qualified immunity" provide for law enforcement officers?

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that protects law enforcement officers from liability for civil damages when they are performing their official duties, provided that their actions did not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known. This means that for an officer to be held liable, it must be shown that their conduct was not only unlawful but also that it infringed upon a specific constitutional right that had been clearly established at the time of the incident.

The key aspect of qualified immunity is that it does not provide blanket protection from all forms of liability; rather, it is contingent upon whether or not a constitutional right was violated. It recognizes the need for officers to make split-second decisions in high-pressure situations and encourages them to carry out their duties without the constant fear of being sued. Thus, it balances the rights of individuals against the necessity for law enforcement officials to perform their roles effectively.