The important Supreme Court judgments 2026 for exams include Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (21 August 2026), which cut the Bar practice condition for Civil Judge (Junior Division) to one year, Dr Lokesh B.H. v. State of Karnataka (3 August 2026), which applied Section 498A IPC to live-in relationships in the nature of marriage, and the nine-Judge ruling in State of U.P. v. Jai Bir Singh (20 August 2026) on the meaning of “industry”. The table below lists 18 verified rulings from November 2025 to October 2026 with date and holding for judiciary, AIBE and CLAT PG aspirants.
| Point | Position |
|---|---|
| Period covered | 6 November 2025 to 15 October 2026 |
| Number of judgments listed | 18, in date order |
| Biggest change for judiciary aspirants | Bhumika Trust (21 August 2026): one year of practice from 1 April 2027; all law graduates eligible for advertisements up to 31 March 2027 |
| Largest Bench of the year | Nine Judges in State of U.P. v. Jai Bir Singh (definition of “industry”) |
| Official text | Supreme Court website, sci.gov.in |
Important Supreme Court judgments 2026: the list
Each entry was checked against LiveLaw, Bar and Bench, the SCC Online blog or the Supreme Court Observer law reports. Read the full text on sci.gov.in before quoting it in a mains answer.
| Date | Case | Holding in one line |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Nov 2025 | Mihir Rajesh Shah v. State of Maharashtra | Grounds of arrest must be given in writing, in a language the arrestee understands, for every offence including IPC and BNS offences; failure makes the arrest and remand illegal. |
| 9 Jan 2026 | State of U.P. v. Anurudh | A POCSO victim’s age is for trial, not bail; Section 94 JJ Act governs; Union asked to consider a “Romeo-Juliet clause”. |
| 30 Jan 2026 | Dr Jaya Thakur v. Government of India | Menstrual health is part of the right to life (Article 21) and the right to education (Article 21A); States must provide toilets and menstrual absorbents in schools. |
| 23 Feb 2026 | Dr Naresh Kumar Garg v. State of Haryana | Evidence from an unlawful search and seizure is not excluded unless a law expressly or impliedly requires it. |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Lt Col Pooja Pal v. Union of India | Women SSC officers could not be judged on ACRs written while they were excluded from Permanent Commission; relief under Article 142. |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Sharada Sanghi v. Asha Agarwal | Dismissal of a suit for default is not a decision on merits, so Section 11 CPC does not apply; abandoned claims may still be barred as abuse of process. |
| 29 Apr 2026 | Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India | A constitutional court cannot create or expand criminal offences without a law; that would breach separation of powers. |
| 3 Aug 2026 | Dr Lokesh B.H. v. State of Karnataka | Section 498A IPC applies to live-in relationships in the nature of marriage where the parties intended to marry; Arnesh Kumar safeguards and a preliminary enquiry before arrest. |
| 12 Aug 2026 | Balesh Kumar Kuraiti v. State of Chhattisgarh | Article 20(1): the sentence follows the law in force on the date of the offence, not a later amendment. |
| 18 Aug 2026 | Rishi Malhotra v. Union of India | Hanging as the method of execution (Section 354(5) CrPC, now Section 393(5) BNSS) upheld; Deena v. Union of India (1983) not referred to a larger Bench. |
| 20 Aug 2026 | Shiv Pratap Singh v. State of U.P. | The U.P. Gangsters Act, 1986 called “stillborn” because it prescribes punishment without creating a distinct offence; Gangsters Act proceedings against the appellants quashed. |
| 20 Aug 2026 | Sujata Kumari v. Rahul Kumar | A mother’s own income does not by itself reduce the father’s duty to maintain minor children; the caregiving parent’s daily work counts. |
| 20 Aug 2026 | State of U.P. v. Jai Bir Singh (nine Judges, Surya Kant CJI presiding) | Bangalore Water Supply (1978) not overruled; a four-Judge plurality refined the triple test prospectively only, with five separate opinions. |
| 21 Aug 2026 | Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (Surya Kant CJI, A.G. Masih J; K. Vinod Chandran J dissenting) | Three-year practice rule for Civil Judge (Junior Division) cut to one year of actual practice from 1 April 2027; transitional relief until 31 March 2027. |
| 17 Sep 2026 | Deepak v. State (NCT of Delhi) | The presumption under Section 29 POCSO is rebuttable and arises only after the prosecution proves the foundational facts. |
| 21 Sep 2026 | Jaskaran Jeet Singh Deol v. State of Punjab | A person freed for breach of Article 22 can be re-arrested for the same offence only with a Magistrate’s prior approval. |
| 24 Sep 2026 | Naval Kishore v. State of Punjab | A Sessions Court cannot impose a “special category” life sentence barring remission; only the High Court and Supreme Court can. |
| 15 Oct 2026 | Secretary to Government v. Sameer Ahamed N. | A convert from Hinduism to Islam cannot claim Article 16(4) reservation only on pre-conversion backwardness; a Tamil Nadu order of 9 March 2024 held contrary to Article 14. |
Which of these matter most for each exam
- Judiciary prelims and mains: Mihir Rajesh Shah, Jaskaran Jeet Singh Deol, Naval Kishore, Balesh Kumar Kuraiti, Sharada Sanghi and Deepak, which sit on arrest rules, sentencing, CPC bars and POCSO. Bhumika Trust decides who may sit the exam at all.
- AIBE: learn Mihir Rajesh Shah, Lokesh B.H. and Sujata Kumari as one-line rules.
- CLAT PG: Jaya Thakur, Pooja Pal, Jai Bir Singh, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay and Sameer Ahamed suit passage questions on Articles 14, 16, 21 and separation of powers.
- UGC NET Law: Jai Bir Singh (Unit II and labour), Rishi Malhotra (punishment) and Jaya Thakur (Article 21).
For each, learn the ratio in one sentence and the provision it turns on, for example Lokesh B.H. with Section 498A IPC and Section 85 BNS.
Revise these judgments in exam form. The Landmark Judgments Digest 2026 covers 40 significant Supreme Court judgments from 1 January 2025 to 15 October 2026, each with the question of law, ratio, reasoning, significance and likely exam questions. Landmark Judgments Digest 2026, ₹199. For CLAT PG passage practice, see CLAT PG 2027 Judgment Passages, ₹349.
Common mistakes with recent judgments
- Overstating a ruling. Shiv Pratap Singh quashed proceedings against the appellants and called the Gangsters Act “stillborn”. Do not write that the Act was struck down for everyone.
- Treating a suggestion as law. The “Romeo-Juliet clause” in Anurudh is a request to the Union to consider legislation, not a binding exception.
For the criminal law side, the New Criminal Laws Guide, ₹149 gives verified IPC to BNS, CrPC to BNSS and Evidence Act to BSA tables, so you can quote both numbers correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the important Supreme Court judgments 2026 for judiciary exams?
Start with Bhumika Trust (21 August 2026) on eligibility, Mihir Rajesh Shah (6 November 2025) on written grounds of arrest, Jaskaran Jeet Singh Deol (21 September 2026) on re-arrest and Naval Kishore (24 September 2026) on special category life sentences.
What did the Supreme Court decide in Bhumika Trust in 2026?
On 21 August 2026 a 2:1 majority modified the May 2025 three-year practice rule for Civil Judge (Junior Division). All law graduates can apply to advertisements issued up to 31 March 2027; from 1 April 2027, one year of actual practice is required.
Does Section 498A apply to live-in relationships?
Yes, in a limited way. In Dr Lokesh B.H. v. State of Karnataka (3 August 2026), the Supreme Court held that Section 498A IPC applies to live-in relationships in the nature of marriage between consenting adults who intended to marry, with Arnesh Kumar safeguards and a preliminary enquiry before arrest.
Was Bangalore Water Supply overruled in 2026?
No. In State of U.P. v. Jai Bir Singh (20 August 2026), the nine-Judge Bench did not overrule it. A four-Judge plurality refined the triple test, and only prospectively, while other Judges wrote separate opinions.
Quick quiz
Q1. In Mihir Rajesh Shah v. State of Maharashtra (2025), what must be supplied to an arrested person?
- A copy of the FIR within 24 hours
- Written grounds of arrest in a language the person understands
- A list of witnesses
- The case diary
Show answer
Answer: B. Article 22(1) applies to all offences; failure makes the arrest and remand illegal.
Q2. Which 2026 case held that a Sessions Court cannot impose a life sentence barring remission?
- Balesh Kumar Kuraiti
- Rishi Malhotra
- Naval Kishore v. State of Punjab
- Deepak v. State (NCT of Delhi)
Show answer
Answer: C. On 24 September 2026, the Court held that only the High Court and Supreme Court can impose a “special category” sentence.
Q3. Under Bhumika Trust (2026), how much practice is needed for advertisements issued on or after 1 April 2027?
- None
- One year of actual practice
- Three years
- Two years including LL.M.
Show answer
Answer: B. One year of actual practice, certified; LL.M. study does not count as practice.
Sources
- Judgments listed above, as reported by LiveLaw, Bar and Bench, SCC Online blog and Supreme Court Observer
- Constitution of India, Articles 14, 16(4), 20(1), 21, 21A, 22 and 142
- Indian Penal Code, 1860, s.498A; Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, ss.85 and 86
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, s.393(5); Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, s.11
- Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, s.29; Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, s.94
This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 29 October 2026.
Useful books for this topic
- Bare acts of the new criminal laws (BNS, BNSS, BSA)
- Code of Civil Procedure bare act
- Legal drafting and conveyancing books
- Constitution of India (coat pocket edition)
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