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 moreSeventeen employees of the government-owned Currency Note Press at Nashik claimed unpaid overtime wages for work done between 1986 and 1990 under the Industrial Disputes Act. The Labour Court dismissed their claims, but the Bombay High Court's Single Judge later overturned that and granted the employees the monetary relief they sought. The employer (a government body) appealed to the Supreme Court, wanting to raise legal arguments about the interpretation of shops/establishment and factory labour laws.
The Supreme Court declined to interfere with the High Court's order, citing five practical reasons rather than resolving the legal questions raised: all 17 employees had since retired or died, the compensation amount was not large, the dispute concerned decades-old work (1986-1990), the money had already been paid out long ago following the High Court's order, and the claims related to overtime genuinely worked while on duty. The Court explicitly left the broader legal questions about the applicable labour statutes open for decision in a future, more suitable case, and dismissed the appeal.
Courts can decline to revisit even a potentially debatable legal ruling where practical realities, such as the dispute being old, the amount small, or the relief already implemented, make it not worth disturbing, while still preserving the unresolved legal question for a future case.
