Supreme Court Sets Precedent: Governor's Assent Timelines for State Bills

In a historic decision, India's Supreme Court ruled against the Tamil Nadu Governor's reservation of ten legislative bills for presidential consideration, labeling the action unconstitutional. A timeline for gubernatorial decisions on state legislation was established, reinforcing the balance of power between state legislatures and the executive.

In a precedent-setting ruling, the Supreme Court of India has set a definitive timeline for governors to act on bills passed by state legislatures. This comes after the Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi was criticized for reserving 10 bills for President's consideration, an act deemed unconstitutional by the court.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ruled the Governor's action as illegal and arbitrary, instructing that the bills be considered cleared from their re-presentation date. Highlighting the absence of a time limit in Article 200 of the Constitution, the apex court argued that it cannot be read to allow indefinite delays by the Governor.

The court mandated a one-month period for the Governor to decide on bills with council advice or three months without. Further, any non-compliance by the Governor would be subject to judicial review, emphasizing governors cannot employ 'pocket veto' tactics.

(With inputs from agencies.)