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 moreThis writ petition was originally filed in 2015 on behalf of three infants concerned about Delhi's severe air pollution, particularly the sharp spike caused every year by the burning of firecrackers during Diwali and other festivals. After Delhi's air quality reached hazardous levels following Diwali 2016, among the worst in the world at the time, the Supreme Court had already passed various interim restrictions in earlier years. By 2018, with Diwali approaching again, the Court asked the Union Government to propose concrete, science-based measures (drawing on CSIR-NEERI, PESO, and the Central Pollution Control Board) to control the specific pollution caused by fireworks.
The Court accepted the Government's proposed measures and converted them into binding, specific directions: only "green"/reduced-emission crackers may be manufactured and sold; joined/series firecrackers ("laris") are banned outright; online sale of firecrackers through e-commerce platforms is banned; crackers containing barium salts are banned; and bursting of firecrackers is restricted to a fixed window of 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Diwali and similar festivals (with a separate shorter window for Christmas/New Year). It also directed community firecracking in designated areas, extensive public awareness campaigns, and held that the local police station officer would be personally liable for contempt of court if these restrictions were violated in their area. These directions finally disposed of the specific interlocutory applications before the Court on firecracker regulation, while the broader writ petition on overall Delhi/NCR air pollution remained listed for further hearing on other issues.
Courts can translate scientific recommendations into concrete, enforceable rules, such as fixed time windows and chemical-composition bans, to balance a genuine public health hazard against livelihoods and tradition, rather than imposing (or refusing) an all-or-nothing ban.
