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 suo motu case, along with several connected writ petitions filed by retired High Court judges and the widow of one judge, raised a cluster of pension disputes: judges who entered the High Court from the District Judiciary were being denied full pension because their earlier service wasn't counted, some faced reduced pension due to a "break-in-service" gap between their district and High Court postings, and others were denied benefits because they had retired as "Additional Judges" rather than confirmed permanent judges.
The Supreme Court directed that all retired High Court judges must receive full pension - Rs. 15 lakh per year for a former Chief Justice and Rs. 13.5 lakh per year for other judges - on a "One Rank One Pension" principle, regardless of whether they came from the Bar or the District Judiciary, regardless of any gap in service between the two postings, and regardless of whether they retired as Additional or Permanent Judges. It also directed that family pension and gratuity be paid to widows/families of judges who die while in service even if the judge had not completed the minimum qualifying period, and ordered all arrears to be paid with 6% annual interest within six months.
Retirement benefits for public servants (here, judges) should not be denied or reduced on technical or administrative grounds - such as which career path they took to the post or minor breaks in service - when they have genuinely rendered the underlying service; a uniform "One Rank One Pension" principle should govern such entitlements.
