India, Nov. 21 -- The Supreme Court's five-judge Constitution bench on Thursday ruled that governors and the President cannot be bound by judicially imposed timelines in granting assent to state legislation, opining on a presidential reference that any such attempt would violate the separation of powers and overstep constitutional boundaries.

The verdict nullifies the April 8 decision by a two-judge bench in the Tamil Nadu case where strict timelines for gubernatorial assent were laid down, besides introducing the concept of "deemed assent" in cases of inordinate delays. The bench said that the previous decision created a "state of confusion and doubt", which requires an "authoritative opinion" of the larger bench.

At the same time, the...