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 moreAn NGO, formed after one of its founders faced difficulty finding a place to breastfeed her child in public, filed a public interest writ petition seeking directions to the Union and State Governments to build feeding rooms and child-care facilities at public places across the country. The petitioner pointed to an earlier, similar case before the Delhi High Court in which the Union Government had already recognised such facilities as essential and had written to States and Union Territories asking them to set these up, and also pointed out that the Central Government had issued advisories on the subject.
The Supreme Court found that the Central Government's existing advisory on providing nursing and feeding facilities aligned with the constitutional guarantees of equality (Article 14) and special provisions for women and children (Article 15(3)). It directed the Union of India to formally re-circulate that advisory, along with a copy of the Court's order, to the Chief Secretaries/Administrators of all States and Union Territories so they comply with it. The Court further directed that, wherever practicable, existing public places should implement these facilities, and that new public buildings under planning or construction should reserve space for child-care and nursing rooms. The Union was also asked to prompt Public Sector Undertakings to set aside such spaces, with compliance to be reported within two weeks.
Courts can convert a government's own non-binding advisories into enforceable directions when they serve constitutional guarantees: here, the right of nursing mothers to privacy and dignity, and the right of infants to be fed, in public spaces.
