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 oil tanker, driven rashly and negligently, killed a cyclist and a pedestrian who were the breadwinners of the claimants' families. The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal awarded compensation but directed the insurance company to first pay the claimants and then recover the amount from the tanker's owner and driver, because the driver, though he held a licence to drive transport vehicles generally, lacked the special endorsement required under Rule 9 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules for driving vehicles carrying dangerous/hazardous goods (the tanker was carrying oil).
The vehicle owner argued that the missing endorsement was a mere technical or "venial" breach that shouldn't let the insurer avoid or shift liability, especially since the accident was caused by rash driving, not by mishandling of the hazardous cargo. The Supreme Court disagreed, holding that Rule 9's training syllabus is not confined to spill/hazard handling. It substantially covers defensive and advanced driving skills specific to such heavy, dangerous-goods vehicles. The Court also rejected a training certificate produced late (at the appeal stage, without a serial number or official seal) as unreliable and inadmissible under Order 41 Rule 27 CPC. It dismissed the appeal, affirming the direction that the insurer pay the claimants and then recover the amount from the owner and driver.
For vehicles carrying hazardous or dangerous goods, the special driving-licence endorsement is treated as a genuine safety requirement, not paperwork: its absence can let an insurer pay accident victims and then recover the money from the vehicle owner and driver.
