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 moreSouth Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) had engaged SMS AAMW Tollways Pvt. Ltd. to collect toll tax at Delhi's border entry points under a 2011 agreement. A dispute arose after a toll plaza was dismantled, leading SMS AAMW to claim it suffered heavy losses, and SDMC counter-claimed a large sum was owed to it. When SDMC rejected arbitration, SMS AAMW approached the Delhi High Court, which appointed a retired Supreme Court judge as arbitrator under Section 11(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, treating Clause 16.3 of the agreement (an "appeal to the Commissioner") as an arbitration clause.
The Supreme Court held that Clause 16.3 was not an arbitration agreement but merely a departmental appeal mechanism: it could only be invoked by the dissatisfied contractor (not both parties), did not require an impartial judicial-style hearing of both sides, and used the word "appeal" to a superior officer of the same organisation rather than referring disputes to an independent adjudicator. Applying settled tests (including K.K. Modi v. K.N. Modi) for what makes a clause an arbitration agreement, mutual access, binding impartial adjudication, and intent to resolve a formulated dispute, the Court found none of these features present. It therefore set aside the Delhi High Court's order appointing an arbitrator and allowed SDMC's appeal.
Not every internal "appeal" or "review" clause in a contract is an arbitration clause: for a clause to trigger arbitration, it must show real features of impartial, judicial-style adjudication available to both sides, not just a one-sided escalation to a senior officer within the same organisation.
