Top court warns of ‘risk’ in fixing timelines for Guvs, Prez on bills

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cautioned that prescribing deadlines for governors and the President to decide on state bills could draw constitutional courts into a zone of “ris!

- Utkarsh Anand

even though legislative processes require expediency.

“We are not saying that there is no requirement of expediency in legislative processes, But to fix a time limit is a risk the court takes,” observed a constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai and justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar.

As it continued hearing the presidential reference on gubernatorial powers, the bench added: “Would the governor be expected to act within 24 hours in case of an emergency? Perhaps in certain circumstances. But is that for the court to decide?”

The reference, sent by President Droupadi Murmu in May, questions the Supreme Court's April ruling that imposed a one-month deadline on governors to act on reenacted bills and a three-month limit on the President, even though the Constitution itself is silent on timelines. The judgment has since triggered an intense debate on whether such timelines alter the constitutional scheme.