New Delhi, July 20: The Central government on Monday introduced the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, proposing to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India.
The Bill, introduced on the first day of the Monsoon Session by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. If passed, the Supreme Court will have a sanctioned strength of 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
Proposal Aims to Strengthen Supreme Court Capacity
The Centre had earlier promulgated an ordinance to increase the number of judges, which also received the President’s approval. The government has now moved to replace the ordinance with legislation.
Under Article 124 of the Constitution, Parliament has the authority to determine the strength of Supreme Court judges through a law. The Bill requires only a simple majority for passage.
Currently, the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court is 33 judges besides the Chief Justice. However, only 32 judges are presently serving.
The NDA government had last increased the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges in 2019, when it was raised from 30 to 33.
The strength of the Supreme Court has increased gradually over the decades. It stood at 10 judges in 1956, 13 in 1960, 17 in 1977, 25 in 1986, 30 in 2008, and 33 in 2019.
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