In United States law, a ministerial act is a government action "performed according to legal authority, established procedures or instructions from a superior, without exercising any individual judgment."[1] It can be any act a functionary or bureaucrat performs in a prescribed manner, without exercising any individual judgment or discretion.[2] Under law, this would be classified under the rubric of public policy.
Examples of ministerial acts include:
Actions that are not ministerial would include:
If a ministerial act is not performed, then a court may issue a writ of mandamus to compel the public official to perform said act.[12]
Absolute or sovereign immunity does not apply to the performance or non-performance of ministerial acts.[13]