Law Commons^™

Recent Developments, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Law Review

The institution of criminal charges against critical or disfavored legislators by the King of England was the prime factor prompting the long struggle for parliamentary privilege and, in the context of the American system of separation of powers, is the predominant thrust of the speech or debate clause. If the privilege of legislative immunity is to perform its traditional function of permitting legislators to carry out their legislative functions without fear of prosecution or harrassment from the executive and judicial branches, it should be applied broadly to effectuate its intended purpose of preserving the independence of the legislature and public …