President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
The legislation received presidential assent on August 11 and has since been notified in the Gazette of India.
The Act will be deemed to have come into force from May 16, 2026, the date on which the President promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026. The new law repeals the Ordinance while validating and protecting actions taken under it.
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on July 20. The Lower House passed it on August 3, after which the Rajya Sabha considered and returned it on August 5. The legislation was certified as a Money Bill under Article 110 of the Constitution.
During the parliamentary debate, Meghwal disclosed that CJI Surya Kant had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 11 seeking an increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court.
The CJI had reportedly highlighted the rising volume of litigation and the difficulty in maintaining disposal rates when judges are assigned to Constitution Benches. The nine-judge Bench recently constituted to hear the Sabarimala reference was cited as an illustration of the issue.
According to the government, more than 92,000 cases were pending before the Supreme Court as of January 1, 2026. In 2025, the Court registered 75,410 fresh matters but disposed of slightly over 65,000 cases.
The Centre said the increase in judicial strength would enhance the Court’s capacity, facilitate the constitution of larger Benches and help address the mounting pendency.
This is the first increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court since 2019, when Parliament increased the number of judges, excluding the CJI, from 30 to 33.
The Supreme Court commenced functioning in 1950 with eight judges, including the CJI. Its sanctioned strength was subsequently increased to 11 in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1978, 26 in 1986 and 31 in 2009.
With the latest amendment, the sanctioned strength now stands at 38 judges, including the CJI. The Court currently has three vacancies, with 35 judges in position.
The post President Droupadi Murmu assents to law raising Supreme Court judge strength from 34 To 38 appeared first on India Legal.