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 petitioner medical college had been granted conditional permission to admit MBBS students for 2016-17, but after MCI inspections found significant deficiencies in faculty, residents, and clinical facilities, the Central Government debarred it from admitting students for 2017-18 and 2018-19 and authorised encashment of its Rs. 2 crore bank guarantee. The Supreme Court had earlier set aside that debarment order and remanded the matter for fresh consideration, but after re-examining the Hearing Committee's report, the Central Government reiterated the same debarment decision on 10.8.2017, which the college again challenged before the Supreme Court.
The Court held that in judicial review of such expert regulatory decisions, courts cannot re-appreciate the inspection findings like an appellate body: the Central Government and MCI, as statutory experts on medical education standards, are best placed to assess deficiencies, and the order was not bereft of reasons. Finding no ground to interfere, the Court held the college was not entitled to a letter of permission for 2017-18, but directed that any application/scheme submitted be treated as one for 2018-19, that the bank guarantee be kept alive rather than encashed, and that MCI conduct a fresh inspection within three months, giving the college a chance to fix any deficiencies before a final decision. Students already admitted for 2016-17 were allowed to continue and complete their course. The writ petition and pending application were disposed of in these terms.
Courts generally defer to expert regulatory bodies' technical assessments of institutional deficiencies (such as faculty or facility shortages) rather than second-guessing them, but they can still structure practical remedies, like deferring the admission cycle by a year and protecting already-enrolled students, to balance institutional accountability with students' interests.
