Overview

• The five-judge bench said it will confine itself to interpreting constitutional provisions and not adjudicate state-specific disputes.
• Judges asked what follows if officials ignore court-set deadlines, raising whether contempt is possible or if “deemed assent” could apply.
• The bench cautioned that imposing a general time limit may amount to rewriting the Constitution, which uses “as soon as possible” for assent decisions.
• Tamil Nadu and West Bengal argued prolonged inaction thwarts legislatures, while the Centre warned that judicial timelines would upset separation of powers.
• The court acknowledged Governors cannot sit on bills indefinitely but indicated any time-bound directions may need to be issued case by case, with hearings to continue on Wednesday.