India, July 31 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that constitutional courts can fix a timeline for speakers to decide disqualification petitions, warning that indefinite delays by high constitutional functionaries defeat the very purpose of the Tenth Schedule, which was introduced to curb the evil of political defections.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R. Gavai and justice A.G. Masih ruled that while courts cannot injunct speakers from deciding such petitions, they can certainly issue directions to facilitate decisions within a reasonable time-especially when speakers fail to act altogether.

The top court set aside a November 2024 decision of a division bench of the Telangana high court and ordered the stat...