India, Nov. 20 -- In a major constitutional clarification, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that neither the president nor state governors can be bound by judicially imposed timelines when approving bills.

A five-judge Constitution bench held that their actions are not "justiciable" at the pre-assent stage, and that courts can intervene only after a bill becomes law.

The verdict effectively set deadlines for governors and the President to act on bills, an approach the Constitution bench has now rejected.

The President had asked whether courts could prescribe time limits for governors under Article 200, or scrutinise the President's discretionary decisions under Article 201.

Her queries cited Article 361, which protects the Presiden...