consent decree

noun

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Definition of consent decree

: a judicial decree that sanctions a voluntary agreement between parties in dispute

Recent Examples of consent decree from the Web

The suit is currently on hold while Surfrider and the city evaluate a consent decree that has been reached between U.S. Steel and the EPA.

— david north, Chicago Reader, "Sickened surfers say the best waves in Lake Michigan are in the polluted waters off northwest Indiana," 10 July 2018
In addition, for any future changes or termination to the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees being considered by the Dept. of Justice, the DOJ must now communicate and consult with Congress.

— ed christman, Billboard, "Music Modernization Act Sails Through Senate Judiciary Committee; Industry Reacts," 28 June 2018
Trump’s executive order seeks to detain families indefinitely — a violation of the Flores settlement, a judicial consent decree that says children can’t be held in detention for more than 20 days, with or without parents.

— jen kirby, Vox, "Attorney General Jeff Sessions claims “lunatic fringe” oppose Trump’s border policies," 26 June 2018
The Trump administration’s hand is limited by the Flores agreement, a Clinton-era consent decree that forbids the government to detain children for more than 20 days.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Border Officials To Stop Handing Over All Migrants for Prosecution," 25 June 2018
The executive order directed government lawyers to seek a modification of the Flores settlement, a consent decree from 1997 that bars the federal government from holding children in immigrant detention for more than 20 days.

— kevin kelleher, Fortune, "Trump's Executive Order Misspells (and Ends) Family Separation Policy," 20 June 2018
The investigation led to the installation of a federal monitor and a consent decree.

— rick rojas, The Seattle Times, "Newark police ask public to scan city’s surveillance-camera feeds," 9 June 2018
In 2011, the Federal Trade Commission cut a deal with Facebook allowing them to operate under a consent decree that required the company to get explicit consent from users before overriding their privacy settings.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "What We Know About Facebook’s Latest Data Scandal," 4 June 2018
The bulk of that amount would pay a consultant to monitor a consent decree outlining reforms to the Police Department's policies and practices.

— ashley luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Police misconduct lawsuits: Milwaukee pays another $375,000 to settle illegal strip, body cavity search claims," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'consent decree.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.