Govt Moves To Expand Supreme Court Judges’ Strength From 33 To 37

New Delhi, May 6 (KNN) The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved a proposal to introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament. 

The Bill seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 to increase the sanctioned strength of judges.

The amendment proposes to raise the number of judges from the current 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India), with the aim of improving efficiency and ensuring faster delivery of justice.

Aimed at Improving Judicial Efficiency

The move comes in response to a growing backlog of cases and anticipated retirements of judges in the near term. Increasing judicial strength is expected to ease caseload pressures and enhance the court’s ability to handle matters more effectively.

Financial Implications

Expenditure related to salaries, staff and associated infrastructure will be met through the Consolidated Fund of India, as per the proposal.

Previous Revision in 2019

The last increase in the Supreme Court’s strength was carried out through the 2019 amendment to the same Act, which raised the number of judges from 30 to 33 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).

Next Steps

The Bill will now be introduced in Parliament for consideration and approval. If passed, it is expected to provide additional capacity to the apex court to address pending cases and improve overall judicial functioning.

(KNN Bureau)