Note:
Bruce Jones, Qualified Immunity for Federal Officials: A Proposed Standard for Defamation Cases, 58 TEXAS L. REV. 789 (1980).
 

Abstract:
This note proposes a standard for deciding the immunity of federal officials from suits for defamation. The author surveys the history of official immunity, asserts that the traditional distinction between common law and constitutional torts is invalid, and argues that “qualified immunity” should be applied regardless of the type of tort involved. He then proposes a new form of “qualified immunity” which he deems peculiarly appropriate for defamation suits against federal officials. The note concludes by contending that regardless of the fate of recently proposed amendments to the Federal Torts Claims Act, the need for the proposed form of qualified immunity in defamation cases will persist.