New Delhi
The Supreme Court has formed a special five-judge Bench to examine a reference made by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 143 of the Constitution, following the court's recent verdict in the Tamil Nadu Bills case. The Bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha, and Atul S Chandurkar, will hear the matter titled In Re: Assent, Withholding or Reservation of Bills by the Governor and the President of India on July 22.
In May, President Murmu asked the Court whether Governors can be legally bound to act within a specific timeframe when presented with Bills, especially when the Constitution does not specify one. She also questioned whether the Governor must follow the advice of the state cabinet under Article 200, and if the Governor’s discretion in such matters is subject to judicial review—despite Article 361 shielding them from legal proceedings.
Another key question was whether timelines and procedures could be imposed on the President under Article 201 when a Bill is reserved for approval.
This follows the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling where it found Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s delay in approving ten Bills to be illegal and arbitrary. The court used Article 142 to set a three-month deadline for gubernatorial and presidential decisions and declared the ten Bills as deemed assented once re-passed by the Assembly.
The court also stated that the President must give reasons for rejecting any Bill, bringing presidential decisions closer to judicial scrutiny.