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 moreA husband and wife, both highly educated and parents of three children, had been embroiled in multiple rounds of litigation against each other in different forums. When the matter came before the Supreme Court, the Court sensed a possibility of amicable settlement and asked the parties, who were personally present, whether they would accept the help of a mediator. Both agreed, and the Court enlisted a senior counsel and a counsel present in court to mediate.
The mediation succeeded, and the parties signed a settlement agreement on the same day (28 March 2017) before their respective counsel and the mediators. The Supreme Court made the settlement agreement part of its judgment and disposed of the appeal in terms of that agreement, directing the Registry to supply the parties a signed copy of it. The Court urged both parents to raise their children with love and mutual respect, and, to prevent further litigation between them, restrained both parties from initiating any fresh litigation against each other without the Court's leave.
Even long-running, multi-forum matrimonial disputes can sometimes be resolved through court-facilitated mediation rather than continued adversarial litigation; once such a settlement is recorded and made part of a Supreme Court judgment, the parties can be barred from reopening the dispute in fresh proceedings without the Court's permission.
