The Vatican and Sovereign Immunity

From time to time sexual abuse survivors have named the Vatican as a defendant in priest sexual abuse lawsuits.

So far as I am aware, none of these claims have been successful.

I read an interesting post recently on the SLAW blog about the basis of the Vatican’s claims for sovereign immunity (the right of the head of a foreign state to be immune from arrest and prosecution).

For those of us interested in the issue of liability for sexual abuse by Catholic priests, it makes an interesting read.