'Adopted own procedure': SC questions TN Governor's delay over assent to Bills

The bench will also deliberate on the interpretation of Article 200

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The Supreme Court on Thursday raised serious concerns over the prolonged delay by Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi in granting assent to Bills passed by the state legislative assembly. The court observed that the Governor appeared to have "adopted his own procedure" and framed key constitutional questions on the matter.

A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan noted that the Governor had neither assented to nor returned the Bills for reconsideration, effectively stalling the legislative process. "He seems to have adopted his own procedure. He says, 'I withhold assent, but I will not ask you to reconsider the Bill.' It does not make sense to keep withholding assent and not send it to the legislature, thereby frustrating the provision of Article 200," the bench remarked.

The court framed several questions to examine the Governor's authority in withholding assent and referring Bills to the President. One of the primary issues was whether a Governor could withhold assent again after a Bill was passed a second time by the legislature.

The bench also questioned the scope of the Governor's discretion in referring a Bill to the President. "Is the discretion of the Governor to present a Bill to the President limited to specific matters, or does it extend beyond certain prescribed subjects?" it asked.