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 moreArabian Exports, a meat exporting company, held two insurance policies with National Insurance covering its Taloja factory and stock. After unprecedented flooding in July 2005 damaged the plant and stock, the company claimed roughly Rs. 5.71 crores in losses, but the insurer delayed settlement for years and eventually, in December 2008, presented a standardised "full and final settlement" voucher for a much smaller sum of about Rs. 1.88 crores, which the company says it signed under financial distress caused by the delay. The company later tried to invoke the arbitration clause in the policies to claim the balance, but the Bombay High Court refused to appoint an arbitrator, holding that signing the discharge voucher barred any further dispute.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court was wrong to refuse arbitration. Reviewing a long line of precedent, the Court explained that at the stage of appointing an arbitrator, courts should only check whether an arbitration agreement exists, not conclusively decide whether the discharge voucher was signed voluntarily or under economic duress: that question, along with whether the reduced settlement forecloses the balance claim, is for the arbitral tribunal to decide. The Court set aside the High Court's order and itself appointed a retired High Court judge as sole arbitrator given the long delay already suffered.
Signing a "full and final settlement" voucher to get a stalled insurance claim paid does not automatically stop a policyholder from disputing that settlement through arbitration, especially if it was signed under financial pressure. Courts will generally let the arbitrator decide the validity of such a settlement rather than shutting the door at the outset.
