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.
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Log in to see moreA husband and wife, married in 1997 with two children, had been living separately since 2011 amid marital discord, and had ended up fighting 23 separate civil and criminal cases against each other across trial courts, the High Court, the Supreme Court, and a consumer forum. With the help of a High Court judge acting as conciliator and a senior counsel appointed by the Supreme Court as mediator, the couple finally reached a comprehensive settlement covering all their disputes, including division of property, and jointly sought a divorce by mutual consent.
The Supreme Court accepted the settlement in full, directing that the various pending cases be respectively quashed, dismissed, or disposed of in terms of the settlement as listed in the order, effectively closing all 23 proceedings in one stroke. Because the parties had been separated for a long time and the Court was satisfied their decision was free and considered, it waived the usual six-month statutory waiting period under Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act and directly granted a decree of divorce by mutual consent. The Court also directed specific implementation steps: transfer of the husband's share in agricultural land equally to the wife and both children, return and repayment of a disputed Rs. 50,000 demand draft, and a restraint on either party filing fresh litigation on the same subject matter without the Court's leave. The Court closed by emphasising that under Section 9 of the Family Courts Act, courts have an active duty to assist and persuade parties toward settlement, not merely adjudicate, and commended the mediator and conciliating judge for their efforts.
In bitter, multi-front matrimonial litigation, court-assisted mediation can achieve a single comprehensive settlement that closes dozens of cases at once, and where separated spouses have genuinely and freely agreed to part, courts can waive the standard waiting period and grant an immediate mutual-consent divorce.
