Alabama Constitution Section 55 - Journal of proceedings of each house.
Alabama Constitution – Section 56: Immunity of Legislators
Text:
"Senators and representatives shall, in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the sessions of their respective houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place."
🔍 Explanation:
Section 56 grants legislative immunity to members of the Alabama Legislature under specific conditions. This protection ensures independence and freedom of legislative debate and activity.
✅ Key Protections:
Privilege from Arrest:
Legislators cannot be arrested during:
Legislative sessions,
Traveling to or from sessions.
Exceptions: They can be arrested for:
Treason
Felony
Breach of the peace (e.g., violence or disturbance of public order)
Speech and Debate Clause:
Legislators cannot be sued or prosecuted for anything they say during legislative debates.
This applies even outside the legislature ("shall not be questioned in any other place").
🎯 Purpose:
To protect the legislative process from outside interference.
To allow lawmakers to speak and act freely during debates without fear of lawsuits or retaliation.
To uphold the principle of separation of powers.
This is similar to protections found in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 6).
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