(in the UK and some Commonwealth countries) a principle by which the government can request that sensitive documents are not used as evidence in a trial, on the grounds that to do so would be against the public or national interest.
Example sentencesExamples
- He's then claimed public interest immunity from answering questions about whether the AFP was involved in putting tracking devices on the boats.
- It will avoid the need to consider issues of public interest immunity which could otherwise complicate the trial.
- Well, people refer to public interest immunity as privilege but I do not know whether that is necessarily correct.
- Note that public interest immunity attaches to copies of documents unlike the position in relation to legal professional privilege which only extends to an original document.
- Particulars of any specific allegations or their source that would be protected by public interest immunity could not be given.