A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is hearing a Presidential Reference on imposing timelines on President and Governors.
| Photo Credit:
Deepika Rajesh
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, on Tuesday (August 26, 2025), will continue its hearing on the Presidential Reference seeking clarity on whether fixed timelines could be imposed on Governors and President while dealing with bills passed by the State legislatures.
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Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, concluded his arguments during the hearing on August 21 by strongly advocating against prescribing a timeline for President and Governors to decide on the Bills passed by legislatures. The solution addressing the Constitutional silence on a time limit in Article 200 must come from Parliament, and not in a judicial order, he argued.
Also Read | Supreme Court counters Centreâs argument that President has no assent time limit
Making an oral observation, CJI Gavai had asked if the Supreme Court is supposed to suspend its role as the âcustodian of the Constitutionâ and sit powerless while Governors make competent State legislatures defunct and thwart the democratic will of the people by sitting on Bills for years together. However, Mr. Mehta argued that the Supreme Court was not the only problem solver in the country and the issue of Governors sitting on Bills was better addressed in the political sphere.
Also Read | Highlights from the previous hearing on August 21, 2025
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