Overview
- A five-judge Constitution Bench held that courts cannot prescribe deadlines for Governors or the President when acting on bills under Articles 200 and 201.
- The Court ruled that judges cannot treat delayed bills as approved or use Article 142 to confer assent, setting aside the earlier two-judge directions in the Tamil Nadu matter.
- Governors may not withhold assent indefinitely, and courts may issue a limited mandamus requiring a decision within a reasonable time without dictating the outcome.
- The Bench reaffirmed that a Governor may assent, return a bill with comments, or reserve it for the President, and clarified the President is not obliged to seek the Court’s opinion when a bill is reserved.
- The opinion answered 11 of 14 questions and will guide Centre–state disputes over legislation, with experts noting potential delays for economic and regulatory bills despite the call for institutional dialogue.