Federal consent decrees are legally binding agreements between the federal government and an organization, often as part of a settlement or to enforce civil rights protections. They play an important role in protecting the principle of procedural justice by ensuring organizations adhere to fair practices when making decisions and taking actions that affect individuals.

Procedural justice is generally defined as a belief that people should be treated fairly in decision-making processes. This concept has been studied extensively, with researchers finding that fairness is essential for creating trust between citizens and institutions (Tyler & Huo, 2002). If citizen’s perceptions of fairness are violated, then their levels of trust and satisfaction with their government decreases (Heuer et al., 2010).