Eleventh Amendment

American  

noun

1. an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1795, that prohibited an individual from suing a state government in the federal courts.

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Example Sentences

Reviewing that history, law professor John Orth explains there are “two ways to reverse a U.S. Supreme Court decision by constitutional amendment. The first type of amendment may reverse the decision by instructing the Court on the proper construction of a particular provision, as in the case of the Eleventh Amendment.”

From Salon

But the judge said the Eleventh Amendment “prohibits a federal court from awarding declaratory or injunctive relief of the kind at issue against a state official based only on a violation of state law.”

From Washington Times

He added: “But the Eleventh Amendment prohibits a federal court from awarding declaratory or injunctive relief of the kind at issue against a state official based only on a violation of state law.”

From Seattle Times

Unlike a state official, the sheriff is not entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity when sued for damages in his official capacity, the court said.

From Washington Times

Natural Gas Act does not allow companies to condemn state controlled land in federal court because states enjoy sovereign immunity from such actions under the Eleventh Amendment of the U.S.

From Reuters