Parliament clears Bill to raise Supreme Court strength to 38 judges
06/08/2026
NEW DELHI Aug 5: Parliament on Wednesday approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, after the Rajya Sabha passed the legislation, paving the way for an increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. The government said the measure is aimed at addressing mounting case pendency and improving the efficiency of the country's highest court.
The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha after a brief discussion following a boycott by Opposition members. Having already been cleared by the Lok Sabha, the legislation has now completed the parliamentary process and will be sent to the President for assent.
Moving the Bill for consideration and passage in the Upper House, union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, "I move that the Bill further to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, as passed by the Lok Sabha, be taken into consideration and returned."
The legislation amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, by increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. Once notified, the apex court will have a total sanctioned strength of 38 judges, comprising the Chief Justice of India and 37 puisne judges, up from the existing 34 judges, including the Chief Justice.
The Bill also replaces the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Ordinance promulgated in May 2026, providing statutory backing to the enhanced judicial strength.
The Centre has argued that the increase in the number of judges is necessary to meet the Supreme Court's growing workload. According to the government, the additional judges will help reduce the backlog of pending cases, expedite the disposal of matters and strengthen the overall justice delivery system by enabling the apex court to hear more cases simultaneously.
The legislation is part of the government's broader push to improve judicial infrastructure and tackle delays in the justice delivery system. The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court has been revised periodically over the years to keep pace with rising litigation and the increasing volume of cases before the apex court.
With the Rajya Sabha's approval, the Bill has now completed all stages of parliamentary scrutiny and awaits Presidential assent before becoming law.
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