Real judgements, distilled
Court judgements broken down into the case type, how the decision played out, and the lesson worth remembering, with the full judgement available as a PDF.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1094
An older qualification must still satisfy the eligibility rules governing the appointment sought. Here, the certificate's early date did not secure reinstatement, and rejection of eligibility should not be confused with a conclusive finding that the certificate was forged.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1095
A party benefiting from a conditional stay must meet its deposit requirement or face enforcement. The additional ₹15 crore deposit secures the pending dispute; it does not settle the land's final compensation or amount to an immediate payment to the landowners.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1093
An alleged attempt to kill does not become a lesser offence simply because the victim avoided a fatal injury. Restoring this charge means the accusation must be tried; it does not establish that the accused is guilty.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1090
For the assessment in this case, assistance reducing ordinary manufacturing costs was taxable even though the government wanted to encourage industry. The purpose and actual operation of the particular subsidy mattered more than its general development label.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1091
Proof that someone caused a serious injury does not by itself prove the additional ingredients of robbery. A court can substitute a lesser offence supported by the evidence; the sentencing reduction here depended on Appa's particular circumstances.
Special Leave Petition (Civil) · 2026 INSC 1092
Someone challenging an election must ensure that the personal-presentation requirement is met and can be proved. Merely entering the court building does not establish compliance, and a filing defect can end the challenge before the election allegations are examined.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1088
An employee who retires on 30 June may be entitled to the increment that falls due on 1 July after completing a year of service. Authorities that delay paying the amounts due must pay interest after the deadline set by the court.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1089
Recruitment must follow the qualifications stated in the advertisement and the governing Recruitment Rules. A court will not override a merit-based eligibility decision made under those rules merely because the candidate concerned was higher in the written test.
Writ Petition (Criminal) · 2026:DHC:8797
A person who occupied property only because of employment has no independent right to remain once the employment and decree end. Even when a petition fails, courts can make practical arrangements to let a person recover personal belongings.
14543 more judgements for members
You're seeing the newest cases. Log in — it's free — to keep scrolling, search by name or judge, and filter by court or legal area.
Log in to see moreA public-spirited petitioner filed this writ petition after an eight-month-old girl became the victim of a sexual offence under the POCSO Act, raising two concerns: ensuring proper medical treatment and compensation for the infant victim, and the much wider problem of massive, chronic delays in trying POCSO cases nationwide (tens of thousands of cases pending for over a year in states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh). The Court had already passed earlier orders securing the child's treatment at AIIMS and victim compensation. By the time of this judgment, the focus shifted to the systemic delay problem in POCSO trials across India.
The Court noted that the POCSO Act mandates trials be completed within one year of cognizance (Section 35(2)) and is a gender-neutral child-protection law built around constitutional guarantees (Articles 15(3) and 39(f)) and India's international commitments. Finding the "as far as possible" caveat in Section 35(2) insufficient excuse for the scale of pendency shown, the Court issued binding directions: High Courts must ensure Special Courts actually try and dispose of POCSO cases with sensitized judges; Special Courts must be established where not already done; adjournments should not be granted unnecessarily so trials stay time-bound; Chief Justices of High Courts must constitute monitoring committees of judges to track POCSO trial progress; police must set up Special Task Forces to ensure proper investigation and witness production; and High Courts must ensure child-friendly court infrastructure. With these directions, the writ petition was finally disposed of.
Courts can and will issue binding, system-wide administrative directions, not just rule on one case, when a protective law like POCSO is being undermined by chronic delay; for an ordinary citizen, this case is the basis for the judicial monitoring committees and Special Courts meant to fast-track child sexual abuse cases nationwide.
