No timelines for governors, president to act on bills, says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Thursday held that courts cannot impose timelines on the president or governors for granting assent to bills under Article 200 and Article 201 of the Constitution, Live Law reported.
The ruling came while answering a reference made by President Droupadi Murmu in May under Article 143(1) of the Constitution regarding the Supreme Court’s April 8 judgement that had prescribed timelines.
Article 200 and Article 201 outline the process of assent to bills by governors and the president.
Article 143(1) allows the president to ask for the opinion and the advice of the court on matters of legal and public importance.
A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai, and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar had heard the matter and reserved its judgement in September.
On Thursday, the bench held that the idea of courts declaring “deemed assent”, allowing pending bills to be considered approved if timelines for governors to act were breached, was in contrast to the spirit of the Constitution, Live Law reported.
It added that the process also violated the doctrine of separation of powers.
Declaring “deemed assent” would amount to the judiciary taking over functions reserved for the governor, the bench observed.
However, it also held that if there is a prolonged or unexplained delay by a governor that “frustrates the legislative process”, the...
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