Rule 4-226 Immunity

This rule protects the people who work on attorney discipline cases in Georgia. It covers members of the disciplinary boards, special masters, bar counsel, special prosecutors, investigators, and staff who help handle complaints against lawyers. The rule treats their work as part of the court system, similar to judges and other court officials.

Because their work counts as judicial in nature, these people get the same legal protections that judges and court staff normally receive. This means they generally cannot be sued personally for actions they take while doing their jobs in a disciplinary case. For example, if a bar investigator looks into a complaint against a lawyer, or a special master makes a ruling in a disciplinary hearing, they are shielded from lawsuits over those official actions.

The point of this rule is to let these officials do their jobs honestly and without fear of being personally sued by someone unhappy with the outcome. This protection helps keep the attorney discipline system fair and independent, so decisions are based on the facts and rules, not on worry about personal legal risk.