President asks SC if it can fix timeline on assent to Bills

INVOKES RARE POWER

- MPOST BUREAU

NEW DELHI: With the Supreme Court setting timelines for the President and Governors to act on Bills sent by state assemblies, President Droupadi Murmu, invoking rare power, has sought the apex court's opinion under Article 143(1) on whether their actions are justiciable and whether such timelines can be imposed.

In April, the Supreme Court set a timeline for governors to act on Bills, and for the first time, prescribed that the President should take a decision on the Bills reserved for consideration by the governor within three months from the date on which such reference is received. Under Article 201 of the Constitution, no timeframe has been set for a presidential decision.

The Supreme Court said that "in case of any delay beyond this period, appropriate reasons would have to be recorded and conveyed" to the state concerned. The court, in a ruling, declared the action of Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi as illegal and erroneous in reserving 10 Bills for consideration of the President in November 2023 after they had already been reconsidered by the state Assembly.

Article 143 (1) of the Constitution deals with the power of President to consult the Supreme Court "if at any time it appears to the President that a question of law or fact has arisen or is likely to arise, which is of such a

N ature and of such public importance that it is expedi ent to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court upon it, he may refer the question to that Court for consideration and the Court may, after such a hearing as it thinks fit, report to the President its opinion thereon".

In a five-page reference, President Murmu posed 14 questions to the Supreme Court and sought to know its opinion on powers of Governor, President under Article 200 and 201 in dealing with Bills passed by the state legislature.