Insights

In a significant ruling clarifying the legal distinction between regular public employment and contractual engagement through intermediaries, the Supreme Court of India has held that workers hired through third-party contractors cannot claim equal status or employment benefits at par with regular government employees.

In a significant ruling with wide-ranging implications for industries using heavy machinery, the Supreme Court of India has recently held that Heavy Earth Moving Machinery (HEMM) such as Excavators, Dumpers, Loaders, Dozers, Surface Miners, and Rock Breakers, when used exclusively within the factories or enclosed industrial premises, do not qualify as “motor vehicles” under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Consequently, such machinery is not liable to road tax.

The growing menace of stray dogs in Indian cities has once again come under sharp judicial scrutiny. In a suo motu writ petition titled “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price”, the Supreme Court of India is examining the conflict between public safety concerns especially in sensitive institutional spaces and animal welfare obligations under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.

In a significant ruling given by Supreme Court on Wednesday 07th of January 2026, reaffirming the strict contours of Limitation Law, the Court has held that the power to condone delay under the Limitation Act, 1963 lies exclusively with courts and not with tribunals or quasi-judicial bodies, unless such power is expressly conferred by statute. The judgement clarifies the legal position on whether authorities like the Company Law Board (CLB) could invoke Section 5 of the Limitation Act, 1963 to excuse delayed filings.

In a significant development touching upon aviation safety, regulatory powers, and administrative discretion, the Madras High Court has sought a categorical clarification from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on whether it intends to extend the exemption granted to Inter Globe Aviation Limited, the operator of IndiGo Airlines, from complying with certain pilot fatigue management norms.

In a significant step towards strengthening institutional accountability and workplace safety within the justice delivery system, the Supreme Court of India has sought comprehensive status reports from various High Courts regarding the constitution and functioning of Gender Sensitisation Committees and Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs). These bodies are mandated to address complaints of sexual harassment against women and transgender persons across courts, tribunals, and Bar Associations.

The Supreme Court of India, in a significant ruling delivered on January 5, has categorically held that delay in trial cannot be treated as a ‘trump card’ for the automatic grant of bail in cases under the Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act, 1967 (UAPA).

In a significant ruling clarifying the scope and effect of remand orders, the Supreme Court of India has held that when a matter is remanded for fresh consideration, the adjudicating authority is not irrevocably bound by observations in the remand order if the issue itself was not finally decided. Instead, the authority must apply the binding law as it stands on the date of decision.

In a significant judgment underscoring the primacy of due process and evidentiary safeguards, a Delhi court has acquitted three men accused in connection with the vandalism, arson and alleged looting of Jannati Masjid, Gokalpuri, during the 2020 North East Delhi riots.

In a recent significant reaffirmation of landlord rights under Indian rent control jurisprudence, the Supreme Court of India has held that a tenant cannot dictate to a landlord which property should be used to satisfy the landlord’s bona fide requirement. The Court clarified that it is the landlord’s prerogative to decide the suitability of premises for starting a business and that tenants cannot compel landlords to shift their plans to alternative properties suggested by them. This ruling assumes importance in the context of long-standing tenancies, especially in metropolitan cities, where disputes often arise over claims of bona fide requirement for commercial premises.

Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002 Inapplicable in Nagaland Prior To 2021 Adoption: Supreme Court Dismisses Secured Creditor’s Appeal. In a significant ruling on Tuesday, December 16th - clarifying the territorial applicability of central financial recovery legislation and the essential requirements for enforcement of security interests, the Supreme Court of India held that proceedings initiated under the “Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002” (“SARFAESI Act”) in Nagaland prior to its formal adoption in 2021 were without jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court has cast doubt on its recent judgment in SHRI SENDHUR AGRO & OIL INDUSTRIES VS. KOTAK MAHINDRA BANK LTD which held that - "mere convenience or inconvenience of the parties may not by itself be sufficient enough to pray for transfer" of a criminal case from one state to another as per Section 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant(as he was then) and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, in the order passed on November 18 (but uploaded today), referred the Shri Sendhur Agro & Oil Industries case to a larger bench for an authoritative and binding clarification.