Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday announced that President Droupadi Murmu has approved an increase in the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court through an ordinance,
a move aimed at tackling rising pendency and improving the pace of justice delivery in the country’s highest court.
In a post on X, Meghwal said, “The President is pleased to increase the Judge strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 37 Judges (Excluding the Chief Justice of India) by promulgating The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, which has further amended the ‘Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956’.”
The ordinance raises the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India.
With the Chief Justice included, the total strength of the apex court will now rise to 38 judges.
According to government sources cited in multiple reports, the move has been undertaken in view of the growing workload of the Supreme Court and the steady rise in pending cases.
CABINET HAD CLEARED THE PROPOSAL EARLIER
The development comes days after the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a proposal to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
The Cabinet on May 5 cleared the proposal for introducing the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Parliament to increase the number of judges in the apex court by four.
The government has maintained that the expansion in judicial strength is necessary to ensure quicker disposal of cases and reduce delays in hearings.
The increase is also expected to strengthen judicial infrastructure and improve access to timely justice for litigants across the country.
The Supreme Court’s strength was last revised in 2019, when Parliament amended the law to increase the number of judges from 30 to 33, excluding the Chief Justice of India, through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019.
LEGAL FRATERNITY WELCOMES MOVE
Members of the legal fraternity largely welcomed the Centre’s decision, describing it as a timely step to address mounting pendency before the apex court.
According to ANI, Supreme Court Bar Association President and senior advocate Vikas Singh said the demand for increasing the number of Supreme Court judges had existed for a long time due to the steady rise in filings before the court.
He noted that while the disposal rate of Supreme Court judges had been commendable, the increasing volume of litigation required additional judges.
Singh also expressed hope that part of the new Supreme Court building would become operational by the end of the year and said the court could comfortably accommodate 38 judges, with the possibility of requiring nearly 50 judges in the future.
Senior advocate Sacchin Puri termed the decision a “positive and much-needed step”, saying it would help in the speedy disposal of pending matters and benefit litigants as well as the legal community.
CALLS FOR BROADER JUDICIAL REFORMS
Some legal experts, however, said that merely increasing the number of judges may not completely resolve the issue of pendency.
Supreme Court advocate Sumit Gehlot reportedly pointed to the nearly 95,000 pending cases in the apex court and stressed the need for structural reforms and better case management systems alongside the increase in judicial strength.
Eminent lawyer Hemant Shah also said that while the move could help reduce backlog, it could not be the only solution, especially with several judges set to retire in 2026.
He suggested that the government should also focus on reducing unnecessary litigation.
Former Union Law Secretary PK Malhotra said broader judicial reforms were equally important and suggested setting up regional Courts of Appeal so that the Supreme Court could focus mainly on constitutional matters.
