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 moreSampurna Behura, a sociology researcher who had worked on child-rights issues, filed this PIL in 2005 complaining that State Governments and Union Territories were failing to implement the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 (later replaced by the 2015 Act): in particular, not setting up Juvenile Justice Boards, Child Welfare Committees, and proper Homes for children in need of care. Over the next 12+ years, the Court repeatedly sought status reports from the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and from NALSA on the state of implementation across the country.
The Court found that, despite repeated Chief Justices' Conference resolutions since 2006, implementation remained patchy: many districts still lacked functioning JJBs/CWCs, training of Principal Magistrates and social workers was ad hoc, the Juvenile Justice Fund was underused, and data collection by States was inconsistent. The Court issued a detailed set of 16 directions covering the functioning of the National/State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights, State Child Protection Societies and District Child Protection Units, staffing and training of JJBs and CWCs, registration of Child Care Institutions, Special Juvenile Police Units, use of technology for tracking missing/trafficked children, and asked every High Court's Chief Justice to register suo motu proceedings to monitor local implementation. The writ petition itself was disposed of, with the matter listed again for the limited purpose of tracking High Court compliance.
A beneficial child-welfare law on the books is not enough: courts can use continuing PIL oversight to compel the machinery (JJBs, CWCs, police units, training systems) that actually makes such a law work on the ground, and ordinary citizens (here, a research student) can set that process in motion.
