Sat Apr 12 08:26:58 UTC 2025: **Supreme Court Sets Three-Month Deadline for President on State Bills**
NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court of India has issued a landmark ruling, mandating a three-month deadline for the President to decide on State Bills referred by Governors. The April 8th judgment, stemming from a writ petition filed by Tamil Nadu against its Governor, R.N. Ravi, declares the President should seek the Supreme Court’s advice on Bills deemed unconstitutional.
The court deemed Governor Ravi’s decision to reserve 10 Bills for Presidential consideration after months of inaction “erroneous in law.” The three-month time limit begins the day the Governor refers the Bill to the President, with any delays requiring justification to the affected State. States, in turn, must cooperate with any central government inquiries.
The judgment, authored by Justice J.B. Pardiwala, highlights the lack of a State-level mechanism for Governors to seek constitutional court opinions on Bills. The President’s recourse to Article 143 of the Constitution, seeking Supreme Court advice, mitigates concerns of bias in the central government’s handling of reserved Bills. Justice Pardiwala cited Sri Lanka as an example of a nation where the President similarly seeks Supreme Court opinion on Bills.
The court emphasized the benefits of seeking preemptive judicial review, saving time and resources by preventing costly litigation and allowing for legislative corrections. However, it cautioned against using Bill reservation as a tool to obstruct State legislative power. The Tamil Nadu government has already notified 10 Acts following the Supreme Court’s verdict.
First Piper 