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.
14543 more judgements for members
You're seeing the newest cases. Log in — it's free — to keep scrolling, search by name or judge, and filter by court or legal area.
Log in to see moreThe husband had sought dissolution of his marriage, married in 1998, but his divorce petition was dismissed by the Family Court, and the dismissal was upheld on appeal by the District Court and then by the Allahabad High Court. He then approached the Supreme Court. While the appeal was pending, the parties went through mediation and arrived at an amicable settlement, including financial arrangements for the wife and their daughter and withdrawal of several pending criminal and civil cases between them (including Section 125 CrPC maintenance proceedings, a Domestic Violence Act case, and Section 498A/406 IPC proceedings).
Exercising its special power under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice, the Supreme Court dissolved the marriage by mutual consent based on the settlement reached between the parties. The husband agreed to pay Rs. 10 lakhs to the wife in full and final settlement of all maintenance and other claims (paid via post-dated cheque), plus Rs. 3 lakhs by way of a fixed deposit for the daughter within three months, and a further Rs. 1 lakh at the time of the daughter's marriage. The terms of the compromise were made part of the judgment itself, with all other pending cases between the parties to be withdrawn or quashed as per the settlement, and non-compliance made punishable as contempt of court.
The Supreme Court can use its special constitutional powers to grant a divorce by mutual consent directly, bypassing the usual waiting periods, when both spouses have genuinely settled their disputes, showing how mediation and settlement can resolve even long-running, multi-court matrimonial litigation.
