*** Welcome to piglix ***

Unanimous consent


In parliamentary procedure, unanimous consent, also known as general consent, or in the case of the parliaments under the Westminster system, leave of the house (or leave of the Senate), is a situation in which no one present objects to a proposal.

Generally, in a meeting of a deliberative assembly, business is conducted using a formal procedure of motion, debate, and vote. However, if there are no objections, action could be taken by unanimous consent. The procedure of asking for unanimous consent is used to expedite business by eliminating the need for formal votes on routine questions in which the existence of a consensus is likely. The principle behind it is that procedural safeguards designed to protect a minority can be waived when there is no minority to protect.

In non-legislative deliberative bodies operating under Robert's Rules of Order, unanimous consent is often used to expedite the consideration of uncontroversial motions. It is sometimes used simply as a time-saving device, especially at the end of the session. Sometimes members do not want a formal recorded vote on the issue, or know that they would lose such a vote and do not feel a need to take time on it.

Action taken by unanimous consent does not necessarily mean that it was taken by a unanimous vote (i.e. it does not necessarily mean that every member of the body would have voted in favor of the proposal). It may mean that members feeling that it would be useless to oppose a matter would simply acquiesce.

For example, passing legislation via unanimous consent does not require that every member of a legislature, nor that a majority of members, nor even a quorum of representatives, be present to vote. Unanimous consent merely requires that no representative of those present has asked to take a recorded vote or has requested quorum verification. For this reason, a claim that a piece of legislation was passed "unanimously", when in fact it was passed via "unanimous consent", can be misleading as to its level of support.

Certain rights can only be waived by unanimous consent. For example, in disciplinary procedures, a single member can require the vote on the imposition of a penalty to be taken by ballot.

When an item is before the assembly for action, such as a resolution, it is the right of every member to have it read once. Another case of this requirement is the reading of the minutes. Unanimous consent is required to not do the reading. Any member can request that the minutes be read and it would have to be done.


...
Wikipedia

...