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 moreIn a chain of highway-construction contracts, Techtrans had sub-contracted structural work to Elite Engineering under a 2009 agreement that contained no arbitration clause of its own, but referred generally to the terms of an earlier 2008 agreement (between the EPC Contractor and Techtrans) which did contain an arbitration clause. When a dispute arose, Elite Engineering sought appointment of an arbitrator under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, arguing the earlier agreement's arbitration clause was incorporated by reference into its own contract. The Madras High Court dismissed this plea, holding no arbitration agreement existed between the parties, and Elite Engineering appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that under Section 7(5) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, an arbitration clause from another document is incorporated into a contract only if the reference clearly and specifically shows an intention to import that arbitration clause, not merely a general reference to "terms and conditions." Applying its earlier ruling in M.R. Engineers and Contractors (P) Ltd. v. Som Datt Builders Ltd., the Court found that the clauses relied upon by the appellant (relating to "works and quality" and "items" not otherwise specified) incorporated only those specific aspects of the main contract, and did not carry over the arbitration clause, since there was no specific reference to it. The Court agreed with the High Court's reasoning and distinguished between a mere "reference" to another document and true "incorporation by reference" of its arbitration clause. Accordingly, the appeal was dismissed and the High Court's refusal to appoint an arbitrator was upheld.
When a contract wants to adopt an arbitration clause from a separate agreement, it must specifically and clearly say so: a general reference to the other agreement's "terms and conditions" is not enough to bind the parties to arbitration.
