Scales tilt in favour of Governors

Replying to Murmu's 14 questions, Supreme Court says neither guvs nor prez can be bound by judicially fixed timelines to act on bills passed by state legislatures

- FPJ News Service

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that neither Governors nor the President can be bound by judicially fixed timelines to act on bills passed by state legislatures. The Court also declared that the concept of "deemed assent", where a bill automatically becomes law if a Governor or the President fails to act within a prescribed period, is unconstitutional and violates the doctrine of separation of powers.

Delivering its opinion on a Presidential Reference made by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 143, a Constitution Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar clarified that courts cannot take over executive functions by imposing deadlines or declaring automatic assent. The opinion came in response to 14 questions raised by the President after a two-judge bench in the Tamil Nadu Governor case had fixed specific timelines for action under Articles 200 and 201, Live Law and Bar & Bench report.