On April 2, 2026, a Full Bench of the Madras High Court, consisting of Justices A.D. Jagadish Chandira, G.K. Ilanthiraiyan, and Sunder Mohan, ruled that the Governor of Tamil Nadu is bound to follow the advice of the council of Ministers when exercising powers under Article 161 of the Indian Constitution, particularly regarding the remission and premature release of convicts. This decision was made in response to a reference from a Division Bench that encountered conflicting rulings in 2024. The Full Bench determined that the Governor has no discretion to deviate from the Ministers' advice, aligning with a Supreme Court ruling from 1980, which has been consistently upheld in subsequent cases, including a 2022 decision concerning the release of A.G. Perarivalan, a convict in the assassination case of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The court emphasized that one of the earlier Division Benches incorrectly interpreted the law by relying on a 2003 Supreme Court judgment that dealt with a different context. The ruling clarifies the constitutional limits on the Governor's powers and reinforces the principle that the Governor must act in accordance with the advice of the elected government.