India, July 22 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Union government and all states on a presidential reference seeking its opinion on whether the governors and the president can be judicially bound to act within prescribed timelines on bills passed by state legislatures, indicating that detailed hearings in the matter will commence around mid-August.

A five-judge Constitution bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai, passed the order while noting that the outcome of the case will have implications across the country and not just for the state of Tamil Nadu, from where the matter originally arose. "We are going to decide for everyone and not only for Tamil Nadu alone," the bench remarked.

The bench, al...