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blank consent.A general authorization from a natural parent who voluntarily relinquishes a child for private adoption and allows adoption proceedings without further consent. • Jurisdictions are divided over whether a blank consent is valid if the natural parents do not identify and approve the prospective adoptive parents. — Also termed blanket consent; general consent.[Blacks Law…

blank check.See CHECK.[Blacks Law 8th]

blank bond.See BOND(2).[Blacks Law 8th]

blank bill.See BILL(6).[Blacks Law 8th]

blank bar.Hist. A plea in bar interposed by a defendant in a trespass action. • This type of plea was filed to compel the plaintiff to state exactly where the alleged trespass occurred. — Also termed common bar. [Blacks Law 8th]

blank acceptance.See ACCEPTANCE(4). [Blacks Law 8th]

blank.Parliamentary law. 1. A ballot cast without a vote, effectively an abstention. 2. A name, number, time, or other term left open in a motion, to be filled in by vote after taking proposals from the floor. • An election is a common form of filling a blank: each nomination is effectively a proposal for filling…

blanc seign (blahnk sayn). [Law French] Civil law. A signed paper entrusted to someone with the power to bind the signer within the limits of the agreement between the signer and the grantee. See POWER OF ATTORNEY(1).[Blacks Law 8th]

blame,n.1. An act of attributing fault; an expression of disapproval <the judge said all of the plaintiff’s attorneys were to blame>.2. Responsibility for something wrong <blame rested with all the defendants>. — blame,vb. — blameworthy, blamable,adj.[Blacks Law 8th]

Blaine amendment.A provision in a state constitution for stricter separation of church and state than is required by the Establishment Clause. • In 1875, at the request of President Ulysses S. Grant, Senator James G. Blaine proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, applying the Free Exercise and Establishment Clause to the states, and specifically…