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 moreShayara Bano, married for 15 years, was divorced by her husband through an instant "triple talaq" (talaq-e-biddat): a one-sided pronouncement of divorce by the husband without any process of reconciliation. She petitioned the Supreme Court arguing this practice violated her fundamental rights to equality, non-discrimination, and dignity. Her case was heard together with a suo motu petition ("Muslim Women's Quest for Equality") and several other women's petitions raising the same challenge.
By a 3:2 majority, the Court set aside the practice of talaq-e-biddat. Justices Nariman and Lalit held that the practice is "manifestly arbitrary" because it allows a marriage to be ended capriciously and irrevocably with no chance for reconciliation, making it violative of Article 14 and void as a "law in force" under Article 13(1). Justice Kurian Joseph, concurring in the result on a separate ground, held that triple talaq is sinful under Islamic theology itself and therefore cannot claim protection as an essential religious practice under Article 25. Chief Justice Khehar and Justice Nazeer dissented, holding the practice fell within protected personal law and instead directed a six-month injunction against its use while asking Parliament to legislate on the subject.
Even a religiously-rooted personal-law practice can be struck down by courts if it is "manifestly arbitrary" and breaches fundamental rights: the ruling led directly to Parliament's subsequent law criminalising instant triple talaq. For the ordinary citizen, this case illustrates how the right to equality can override even long-standing social practices.
