The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha, proposing an increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to introduce the Bill during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The proposed legislation seeks to replace the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, promulgated in May to increase the number of judges other than the Chief Justice of India from 33 to 37.
If enacted, the amendment will raise the total sanctioned strength of the country’s apex court to 38 judges, including the CJI.
The legislative proposal seeks to amend Section 2 of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, by substituting the existing figure of “thirty-three” with “thirty-seven” in relation to the number of judges appointed to the Supreme Court, excluding the Chief Justice of India.
The proposed expansion is intended to augment the Court’s adjudicatory capacity and facilitate more efficient disposal of cases amid the mounting judicial workload.
The measure does not require a constitutional amendment. Article 124 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to prescribe, by law, the number of judges constituting the Supreme Court in addition to the Chief Justice of India.
The last increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was effected in 2019, when the number of judges, excluding the CJI, was raised from 30 to 33.
The Union Cabinet had earlier approved the proposal to augment the strength of the Supreme Court by four judges, taking the sanctioned strength excluding the CJI from 33 to 37. The May 2026 Ordinance subsequently gave effect to the increase while Parliament was not in session.
The present working strength of the Supreme Court stands below its sanctioned strength, with vacancies continuing to affect the Court’s overall judicial capacity.
The proposed amendment is expected to be considered by Parliament as part of the Union government’s broader efforts to strengthen judicial infrastructure and enhance the institutional capacity of the Supreme Court to deal with its expanding docket.
The Bill requires passage by a simple majority and, unlike a constitutional amendment, does not require ratification by the States.
The post Lok Sabha set to consider Bill raising Supreme Court’s sanctioned judge strength to 38 appeared first on India Legal.