The Supreme Court today held that the Court cannot impose any timelines for decisions of the President and the Governor on granting assent to Bills under Articles 200/201 of the Constitution. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai unanimously held that it would be against the interest of federalism, if the Governor without following due process under Article 200 that empowers a Governor to provide assent to Bills passed by Assembly, is allowed to withhold Bills.
The opinion came in response to a Presidential reference seeking clarity on timelines for gubernatorial and presidential assent, after a 2-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in the Tamil Nadu Bills case declared Governor R.N. Ravi’s prolonged inaction on 10 Bills as illegal and arbitrary and set a three-month deadline for Presidential and gubernatorial approval of Bills passed by the legislature for a second time.
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