The United States’ Apex Court has, for the first time, recognised that former Presidents of the country have immunity from prosecution for certain actions taken in office. The ruling comes as the US top court threw out a judicial decision rejecting former President Donald Trump’s bid to shield himself from federal criminal charges involving his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
The court on Monday (1st July 2024) ruled 6-3 that former Presidents are shielded from prosecution for actions they take within their constitutional authority, as opposed to a private capacity. The ruling marked the first time since the nation’s 18th century founding that the Supreme Court has declared that former presidents may be shielded from criminal charges in any instance. The decision came in Trump’s appeal of a lower court ruling rejecting his immunity claim. Chief Justice John Roberts announced the landmark ruling on behalf of the court’s six-justice conservative majority. The court’s three liberal justices dissented.
78-year old Trump is the first former US President to be criminally prosecuted as well as the first former President convicted of a crime.
Republican candidate Donald Trump is facing Democratic President Joe Biden in the US Presidential election on 5th of November this year in a rematch from four years ago.
Disclaimer: This press release is sourced from News On AIR, Prasar Bharti and Press Information Bureau India (PIB).
