The US Supreme Court has said Donald Trump and other former presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for official acts, in a major legal victory for the Republican White House candidate.

The decision makes it less likely that the Republican candidate will stand trial before he challenges Democratic President Joe Biden in November’s White House election.

It is the first time since the nation’s founding that the Supreme Court has declared former presidents can be shielded from criminal charges.

The justices found that a president is not immune for “unofficial acts”. The 6-3 ruling did not dismiss outright an indictment that charges Trump with plotting to overturn the 2020 election, but it did strip away key elements of the case against him.

The three liberal justices on the Supreme Court dissented strongly from the ruling, expressing “fear for our democracy”. “The President is now a king above the law,” wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith in Washington.

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