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 moreThree separate sets of appeals arose from Delhi High Court judgments concerning Concession Agreements between Municipal Corporations of Delhi and private contractors for developing parking and commercial complexes. The central dispute in each was whether Article 20 of these agreements, dealing with dispute resolution, actually constituted a binding arbitration clause, which would determine whether the contractors could compel arbitration or had to pursue other remedies.
The Supreme Court laid out the essential ingredients of a valid arbitration agreement under Section 7 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and examined the specific wording of Article 20 in each Concession Agreement. It held that Article 20 as drafted did not meet the requirements of a genuine arbitration agreement in the cases of SMS Limited and Consolidated Construction Consortium Limited, and set aside the High Court judgments that had held otherwise, while upholding the High Court's ruling in the DSC Limited matter where the clause was found not to be an arbitration agreement. The Court clarified that parties in all three matters remained free to pursue whatever alternative legal remedies were available to them.
Not every dispute-resolution clause in a government contract is an arbitration clause - the actual words used must clearly show an intention to submit disputes to binding arbitration; parties and public authorities should draft such clauses carefully to avoid years of litigation over interpretation.
