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 moreLaw student Swapnil Tripathi and others, including senior advocate Indira Jaising, petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a declaration that proceedings of constitutional importance affecting the public at large should be live-streamed for public viewing. They argued this followed from citizens' fundamental rights to access justice, freedom of speech, and the long-recognised principle of open courts.
The Court held that live-streaming of court proceedings in cases of constitutional/national importance is part of the right to access justice, flowing from the principle of open courts and Article 21. It accepted the petitioners' case and laid down a detailed regulatory framework for live-streaming, including: a graduated roll-out starting with Constitution Bench matters; cameras to focus only on judges and arguing counsel (not the public gallery); specified categories of proceedings (e.g., matrimonial, POCSO, gender-sensitive matters) to be exempted; the presiding judge's power to pause or stop streaming; retention of copyright over the broadcast by the Court; and archiving of recordings. It directed that the Supreme Court Rules, 2013 be suitably amended to give effect to this framework.
The right to access justice includes a citizen's right to watch important court proceedings live, not merely to read the eventual written judgment: this ruling laid the legal foundation that eventually led to actual live-streaming of Supreme Court proceedings in subsequent years.
