Monthly Review: June 2026

Themes of electoral disputes, bail and transgender persons’ rights continued to echo across the halls of the Supreme Court in June. On the institutional front, the Court saw the appointment of five new judges and the retirement of two. 

In this article, we review the developments that took place in June 2026. 

Appointments and retirements

On 2 June, Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Arun Palli and V. Mohana were appointed to the Supreme Court. The Collegium had recommended their appointment on 27 May, after a Union Ordinance raised the sanctioned strength of the Court from 34 to 38 judges.

Justice Mohana is only the second woman to be elevated directly from the Bar. The month also saw the retirement of Justices Pankaj Mithal and J.K. Maheshwari. Justice Mithal was elevated to the top Court in February 2023, serving on the bench for a little above three years, while Justice Maheshwari was appointed in August 2021, serving on the bench for almost five years. We revisit their notable judgements here and here, and assess their tenure in numbers here and here. 

Their retirement brings the total number of vacancies at the top Court to three.. Justice Maheshwari’s retirement has also led to a change in the composition of the Supreme Court Collegium, with Justice P.S. Narasimha as the newly added fifth member. He will serve on the Collegium till his retirement in 2028. 

One Court, many questions

On 15 June, a Bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Mohana admitted the Union’s transfer petition, which requested the top Court to consolidate and stay all High Court proceedings related to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026 by way of its powers under Article 139A of the Constitution. 

While issuing notice, the Court noted the possibility of there being “scattered opinions” across High Courts. 

Still the Union’s Counsel  

On his way to be the second-longest serving Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s term as arguably the Union’s foremost counsel has been renewed by three years starting 1 July. Our newsletter analyses Mehta’s tenure and his role as the “voice of the government”.  

Out of the running

On 12 June, the Court dismissed Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s petition challenging the Returning Officer’s rejection of her nomination to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh. Citing lack of jurisdiction under Article 32 and the bar under Article 329(b), the Court opined that it could not interfere with the election process. Nonetheless, the Court left open the remedy of filing an election petition, though the petitioner voiced concerns about the delays that typically accompany such proceedings.  

More on Bail

On 25 June, a bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Palli issued notices in Abbuhurera alias Munna v State of Gujarat which concerns whether Courts can impose prospective temporal restrictions on filing fresh bail applications. A seemingly similar condition was recently imposed in the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who were permitted to renew their pleas after a period of one year or after protected witnesses had been examined. We analyse the similarities and distinctions between the two cases, even as it remains to be seen how the Court will ultimately resolve the matter. 

The right foot forward

On 19 June, the Supreme Court further expanded the ambit of Articles 19 and 21 to include the ‘fundamental right to walk’ on safe demarcated footpaths. Involving a case for compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA), the Bench comprising Justices Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar held that claims for the violation of the new fundamental right could now be made under Article 32, independent of any other remedies that may lie under the MVA. 

The Court Codes AI

On 3 June, the Supreme Court’s AI Committee made the draft ‘Regulations for Use of AI in Courts, 2026’ public, inviting comments and suggestions from stakeholders and the public. The regulations, which heavily stress on a human-centric approach, mark a significant development in legitimising the use of technology at the top Court. The Court has been using AI tools for transcription and translation. We unpack the structure of the draft regulations and perceptions around it, along with a comparative analysis of similar frameworks around the world. 

The Telegram Test 

On 19 June, the Delhi High Court upheld the Union Government’s decision to temporarily suspend the services of the global messaging platform, Telegram, ahead of the NEET UG re-test that was conducted on 21 June. We examine the Union’s measures against established standards of law laid down by the Supreme Court. 

What’s new at the Supreme Court Observer?

June brings us to the halfway mark of the year. At SCO, that means taking stock of the Supreme Court’s evolving jurisprudence across a range of areas, including the environment, bail, free speech, insolvency and arbitration. We also revisit the Court’s summer session, reflecting on the key developments between April and June. 

Senior journalist Vidya Venkat shared her insights on the use of RTI in light of recent remarks that came from the top Court on matters surrounding RTI activists. 

Data analyst N.V. Geetha studied the Supreme Court’s approach to the worsening delays in the enforcement of court decrees and map state-wise pendency of execution petitions. 

We also delve deeper into the top Court’s recent decision of directing an unwilling alleged father to undergo a paternity test, reflecting its intent to prioritise scientific certainty over longstanding presumptions around the legitimacy of children. 

SCO.LR this June

In June, we published Volume 6 of the Supreme Court Observer Law Reports (SCO.LR) bringing you five important judgements from each week of the month (and a few bonus judgements from May). 

Read Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4 and Issue 5 here. Reader-friendly summaries are available on our landing page, along with mind maps and HTML versions of each judgement, with a paragraph citation tool to enhance accessibility and ease of use.

(Kruthika Senthil Kumar is an intern at the Supreme Court Observer)