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 moreThe dispute was over whether the teaching experience required for promotion to the post of "Reader" at the University of Kerala had to be experience gained before or after acquiring a Ph.D. (the essential qualification for the post). A Full Bench of the Kerala High Court ruled that the required experience had to be post-Ph.D., against the University's position, and the University appealed. By the time the appeals reached the Supreme Court, both affected teachers, Dr. Saiful Islam A. and Dr. A. Basheer, had already retired.
Given that both individuals had since retired and the dispute had become largely about settling past service and pension benefits rather than an ongoing employment question, the Supreme Court invoked its special constitutional power under Article 142 to do "complete justice" rather than simply ruling on the legal question in the abstract. It ordered that there would be no recovery of any pay or pension already paid to Dr. Basheer, that Dr. Saiful Islam would be treated as appointed Reader with effect from 1 June 2012 for all purposes with retiral benefits settled accordingly, and that both sets of dues be disbursed within three months. The High Court's judgment was modified to this extent rather than being either fully upheld or fully reversed.
When a long-running service dispute becomes moot because the employees involved have since retired, the Supreme Court can use its Article 142 power to craft a practical, fair settlement of pay and pension, rather than deciding an abstract legal question with no one left to apply it to.
