consent

law

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

Consent is a voluntary agreement or acquiescence to something proposed or done by another. In law, it signifies a person of legal age, not under duress, voluntarily agreeing to something after understanding it. This understanding is crucial, especially in medical contexts, where "informed consent" means a patient understands the implications of a procedure before agreeing.12

The concept of consent is fundamental to political philosophy and ethics, forming the basis of social contract theories. Philosophers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke argued that state authority derives from the consent of the governed. For consent to be morally and legally significant, it must be freely given by rational agents who are sufficiently informed about the terms they are agreeing to.3

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

family law
Age
…the requirement of a voluntary consent to a marriage, a party must have reached an age at which he or she is able to give meaningful consent, and it is also implied that a person may be legally disqualified on mental grounds from having capacity to marry. Marriages of young…
Read More
…the requirement of a voluntary consent to a marriage, a party must have reached an age at which he or she is able to give meaningful consent, and it is also implied that a person may be legally disqualified on mental grounds from having capacity to marry. Marriages of young…
Read More

organ donation
Legal, medical, and social issues
…commonly involve some form of consent (either presumed or explicit) or dissent. Under U.S. law, deceased donation remains a consent system. Surviving relatives generally retain the right to dissent even if the potential donor gave explicit consent via a driver’s license, living will, or similar document. In some states, however,…
Read More
…commonly involve some form of consent (either presumed or explicit) or dissent. Under U.S. law, deceased donation remains a consent system. Surviving relatives generally retain the right to dissent even if the potential donor gave explicit consent via a driver’s license, living will, or similar document. In some states, however,…
Read More

rape
Scope, effects, and motivations
…whether or not the victim consented to sexual intercourse. The determination of consent often can lead to distressing cross-examinations of rape victims in court. As a result, many rape victims choose not to report the crime to police or refuse to press charges against their assailants. For example, according to…
Read More
…whether or not the victim consented to sexual intercourse. The determination of consent often can lead to distressing cross-examinations of rape victims in court. As a result, many rape victims choose not to report the crime to police or refuse to press charges against their assailants. For example, according to…
Read More

tort
Intentional interference
Consent by the victim or plaintiff may also make an otherwise unlawful interference lawful. Consent to the infliction of grievous bodily harm, however, is generally regarded as unacceptable, and consent in the context of negligent medical malpractice suits tends to raise complicated issues to which…
Read More
Consent by the victim or plaintiff may also make an otherwise unlawful interference lawful. Consent to the infliction of grievous bodily harm, however, is generally regarded as unacceptable, and consent in the context of negligent medical malpractice suits tends to raise complicated issues to which…
Read More