Union Cabinet Approves Expansion of Supreme Court Judge Strength

The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India by four. The decision will raise the number of judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

Proposed Amendment to Supreme Court Law:

Amendment Bill to be Introduced:

The government will introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to amend the existing Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

Current and Proposed Strength

Category: Existing Strength: Proposed Strength

Judges excluding CJI: 33: 37

Total strength including CJI: 34: 38

Reasons Behind the Decision:

Addressing Pendency of Cases:

The increase in the number of judges aims to:

Reduce pendency of cases

Improve efficiency of the Supreme Court

Ensure faster delivery of justice

Strengthen judicial administration

Growing Workload of the Judiciary:

The Supreme Court has witnessed a continuous rise in litigation and constitutional matters, requiring greater judicial capacity to handle the caseload effectively.

Evolution of Supreme Court Judge Strength

Historical Expansion

The strength of the Supreme Court has been revised multiple times since 1950:

YearStrength of Judges (excluding CJI)

19507

196013

197717

198625

200930

201933

Proposed 202637

Constitutional and Legal Provisions:

Article 124 of the Constitution:

Establishes the Supreme Court of India

Parliament has the power to regulate the number of judges through legislation

Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956:

This Act determines the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court and has been amended several times to increase judicial capacity.