SC's "opinion" may not affect 2-judge ruling on 10 TN bills

THE “opinion” provided by the five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court on the Presidential Reference regarding the powers of Governors and the President regarding assent for bills will not affect the earlier judgment of a two-judge bench of the court that granted "deemed assent" to 10 TN Bills that faced prolonged delays from Governor R N Ravi, at least two senior counsels and a retired judge told TNIE.

- T MURUGANANDHAM/ R SIVAKUMAR @Chennai

With TN's challenge of the interim stay granted by a vacation bench of the Madras HC for nine of these bills from becoming operational coming up for hearing in the SC in December first week, the SC's opinion assumes significance. It is noteworthy that during the previous hearing in this case, the centre had argued that the SC should wait for the Constitution bench's opinion on the Presidential Reference.

JUSTICE K Chandru, retired judge of the Madras High Court, said the opinion provided by the SC in the Presidential reference is only “advisory in nature”. “So, the present view of the court cannot torpedo the earlier judicial order,” he said.