Supreme Court Says It Will Not Overturn Order on Bills Clearance Deadlines

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will not cancel its April 12 order that set deadlines for the President and Governors to act on state bills. A five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai made this clear while hearing a presidential reference.

The April 12 verdict had ruled that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi acted “illegally” and “arbitrarily” by withholding consent for 10 bills. The court said he should have approved them once they were passed a second time by the Assembly.

Chief Justice Gavai explained the court is only giving an “advisory” view under Article 143 of the Constitution, which allows the President to seek the court’s opinion. “We are not sitting in appeal. We will only express our view of the law,” the bench said.

Justice Surya Kant added, “In Article 143 hearings, the court can render an opinion but cannot overrule its earlier judgment.”

The bench also included Justices Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha, and A. Chandurkar. It heard preliminary objections from senior advocates KK Venugopal (for Kerala) and Abhishek Singhvi (for Tamil Nadu).