Legislation : When is complete

Legislation is complete when the Act is passed by the Legislature and receives the assent of the President- Although, said Act could not be enforced.

2019 SCeJ 3000 VINOD KUMAR v. ASHOK KUMAR GANDHI.

Legislation is complete when the Act is passed by the Legislature and receives the assent of the President- Although, said Act could not be enforced. [Para 55]

Held,

The Legislature itself notices the need for providing a ground for eviction to landlord on bona fide need with regard to residential as well as non- residential premises. Thus, what was said in Gian Devi Anand in paragraph 39 was duly accepted by Legislature. It is another matter that Delhi Rent Act, 1995 even though it received assent of the President could not be enforced. Section 1(3) provided that it shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. Central Government did not issue any notification in the Official Gazette for enforcement of the Act. Writ Petition was filed in Delhi High Court for issuance of mandamus to Central Government to enforce Act, 1995 which was dismissed. From the above, it is clear that what was observed by Gian Devi Anand was also accepted by the Legislature in providing for eviction from both the residential and non-residential premises on the ground of bona fide need in Act, 1995. Although, said Act could not be enforced, the Legislation is complete when the Act is passed by the Legislature and receives the assent of the President.

2019 SCeJ 3000 VINOD KUMAR v. ASHOK KUMAR GANDHI.




Merely because the legislature has postponed the enforcement of the Act, it does not mean that the law has not been made.

Broadly speaking, law-making is exclusively the function of the legislatures (see Articles 79 and 168). The President and the Governor are a part of the Union or the legislatures of the States. As far as Parliament is concerned, the legislative process is complete as soon as the procedure prescribed by Article 107 of the Constitution and connected provisions are followed and the Bill passed by both the Houses of Parliament has received the assent of the President under Article 111. Similarly, a State legislation becomes an Act as soon as a Bill has been passed by the State Legislature and it has received the assent of the Governor in accordance with Article 200. It is only in the situation contemplated by Article 254(2) that a State legislation is required to be reserved for consideration and assent by the President. Thus, irrespective of the date of enforcement of a parliamentary or State enactment, a Bill becomes an Act and comes on the statute book immediately on receiving the assent of the President or the Governor, as the case may be, which assent has got to be published in the Official Gazette.

The legislature, in exercise of its legislative power, may either enforce an Act, which has been passed and which has received the assent of the President or the Governor, as the case may be, from a specified date or leave it to some designated authority to fix a date for its enforcement. Such legislations are conditional legislations as in such cases no part of the legislative function is left unexercised. In such legislations, merely because the legislature has postponed the enforcement of the Act, it does not mean that the law has not been made.

2012 SCeJ 004 (Constitution Bench) State of Kerala and others vs. Mar Appraem Kuri Company Limited and another, (2012) 7 SCC 106