Parliament has completed its approval of a bill that raises the Supreme Court's sanctioned judge strength. The Rajya Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 on 5 August 2026, after the Lok Sabha passed it on 3 August 2026, taking the Court's total sanctioned strength, including the Chief Justice of India, from 34 to 38.

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 fixes how many judges the Supreme Court can have, and Parliament has amended it several times as the Court's workload has grown. This is the sixth such increase, and the first since 2019.

Basic Details

  • Introduced: 20 July 2026, in the Lok Sabha, by Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
  • Passed by Lok Sabha: 3 August 2026.
  • Passed by Rajya Sabha: 5 August 2026.
  • Replaces: The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, issued on 16 May 2026.

Key Provision

  • Judge Strength Raised: The Bill increases the number of Supreme Court judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India, from 33 to 37 — taking the total sanctioned strength, including the CJI, to 38.

Why Now

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 May 2026, seeking the expansion. He flagged the growing volume of litigation before the Supreme Court and the difficulty of sustaining the Court's regular disposal rate while also constituting Constitution Benches for important constitutional cases.

Significance

  • Eases Pendency Pressure: More judges let the Court hear more regular matters without pulling judges away from Constitution Bench cases.
  • Exercises Article 124(1): Gives effect to Parliament's constitutional power to fix the Supreme Court's sanctioned judge strength by law.