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 appellant, a complainant in a criminal case pending since 2008, found that his opponent's appeal before the Allahabad High Court had been argued and "reserved for orders" (i.e., the judges heard the case and were expected to deliver a decision) back in December 2021, but no judgment was ever pronounced. Under the High Court's own administrative rules, a case not decided within six months of being reserved must be relisted before a fresh bench, which caused the matter to keep languishing without resolution. The appellant approached the Supreme Court seeking directions for the case to actually be decided.
The Supreme Court found it "extremely shocking" that a judgment was not delivered for years after arguments concluded, noting this is a recurring problem across High Courts that erodes public trust in the judicial system. Relying on its earlier guidelines in Anil Rai v. State of Bihar, the Court reiterated a formal escalation process: High Courts must track cases with reserved judgments, flag any pending beyond a month to the Chief Justice, and if a judgment still isn't delivered within three months, the Chief Justice must direct the concerned bench to decide it within two weeks - failing which the case must be reassigned to a different bench. The Court directed this reiterated procedure be circulated to Registrar Generals of all High Courts for compliance.
If a court has heard your case and reserved its judgment but takes months or years to decide it, established Supreme Court guidelines allow you to apply for early pronouncement after three months of delay, and for reassignment to a different bench after six months.
