Overview
- A five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai issued a unanimous advisory opinion on a Presidential reference under Article 143.
- The Court held that constitutional courts cannot fix deadlines for governors or the President to act on state bills and cannot create a doctrine of deemed assent.
- Governors cannot keep bills pending without end, and courts may issue a limited mandamus requiring a decision within a reasonable time without directing the outcome.
- Under Article 200, a governor may assent, return a bill with comments for reconsideration, or reserve it for the President, and the merits of these choices are generally non-justiciable until a bill becomes law.
- The opinion negates an April two-judge ruling that set timelines, granted deemed assent to Tamil Nadu bills using Article 142, and suggested the President seek the Court’s views, with potential effects on Centre–state dynamics and legislative timelines for economically significant state bills.