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 moreThe appellant, a school employee, had been dismissed from service by the management (the first respondent), but the School Tribunal at Nagpur set aside her dismissal in 2019 and ordered her reinstatement with consequential benefits. The management challenged this before the Bombay High Court, which allowed its writ petition and remanded the matter back to the Tribunal, but based on only one narrow point (whether the Secretary had proper authorization to initiate proceedings), without examining the appellant's other objections, including that she was denied a full opportunity to cross-examine witnesses during the disciplinary inquiry. The appellant's review petition against this remand order was also rejected by the High Court, prompting her appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred by deciding the writ petition on only a single issue while ignoring other significant questions raised by the appellant, such as the alleged breach of natural justice during the inquiry and whether the Tribunal's findings were otherwise justified. It reiterated the settled principle that when multiple issues arise in a case, a court should ideally record reasoned findings on each of them rather than disposing of the matter on one decisive point alone, since this ensures clarity, finality, and helps any appellate court review a fully reasoned decision. Finding this a fundamental flaw, the Supreme Court set aside both the High Court's remand order and its rejection of the review petition, and sent the writ petition back to the High Court for fresh, comprehensive consideration. Since the appellant had since reached superannuation age (making reinstatement moot), the Court directed the High Court to instead decide whether the Tribunal was right to interfere with the disciplinary action and, if so, whether she is entitled to back wages and retiral benefits. It also left open the possibility of a mediated settlement.
A court deciding a case with multiple contested issues should give reasoned findings on each of them rather than resolving the whole matter on a single narrow point, deciding only part of the dispute can itself be a fatal flaw that gets the judgment set aside on appeal.
