Opinion ID: 1154081
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the constitutionality of the governmental immunity doctrine

Text: Griggs contend that governmental immunity violates their right of access to the courts, Art. 2 § 6, Okla. Const. [6] Application of this provision to the doctrine was considered in Neal v. Donahue, [7] where we reaffirmed our previous holdings. [8] There, we held that the doctrine of sovereign immunity does not violate the state constitution. In today's pronouncement we reaffirm our commitment to that view. Griggs also assert that governmental immunity violates the Due Process Clauses in the United States and Oklahoma Constitutions. The two clauses are almost identical in language. [9] In Donahue, we addressed this issue and found that sovereign immunity does not offend the Due Process Clauses. [10] Our view is bolstered by the Federal Supreme Court's repeated upholding of the doctrine against Due Process challenges. [11] We reaffirm today our previous holdings that sovereign or governmental immunity violates neither Art. 2 §§ 6 and 7, Okla. Const., nor the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.