The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, clearing the way for an increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
The Bill was passed by voice vote after being introduced by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal. It amends Section 2 of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 by replacing the existing sanctioned strength of 33 judges with 37, resulting in a total sanctioned strength of 38 when the Chief Justice of India is included.
Government Cites Rising Pendency
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons accompanying the legislation, the proposal was prompted by the growing workload of the Supreme Court. As of January 1, 2026, the Court had 92,101 pending cases.
The government noted that although the Court had been functioning with a near-full sanctioned strength of 34 judges since 2019, fresh filings continued to outpace disposals. During 2025, the Supreme Court received 75,410 new cases while disposing of 65,615 matters. The additional judges are also expected to facilitate the constitution of longer-sitting Constitution Benches.
Financial Implications
The Financial Memorandum attached to the Bill estimates a recurring annual expenditure of around ₹10.57 crore towards the salaries and support staff of the additional judges. It also provides for a one-time expenditure of approximately ₹3.47 crore for official residences and vehicles.
Cabinet Approval And Earlier Ordinance
The proposal to expand the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength was approved by the Union Cabinet on May 5, 2026. An Ordinance giving effect to the increase was subsequently promulgated on May 16.
With the passage of the Amendment Bill, the increase will now be backed by parliamentary legislation.
First Statutory Increase Since 2019
This marks the first revision in the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength through an Act of Parliament since 2019, when the number of judges was increased from 31 to 34.
The Supreme Court began functioning in 1950 with a sanctioned strength of eight judges, including the Chief Justice of India. Parliament subsequently raised the strength to 11 in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1977, 26 in 1986, and 31 in 2009. Although a Cabinet decision had temporarily restricted the strength to 15 judges until the end of 1979, that restriction was later withdrawn at the request of the then Chief Justice of India.
