President Grants Assent To Law Increasing Strength Of Supreme Court To 38
The President of India has given assent to the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act 2026. The Act increases the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The Lok Sabha had cleared the Bill on August 3. It was considered and returned from the Rajya Sabha subsequently. During the debates in the Rajya Sabha, the Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal disclosed that the proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was initiated after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant wrote to the Prime Minister seeking the enhancement.
The Law Minister revealed that CJI Surya Kant had written to the Prime Minister on May 11 requesting an increase in the Court's sanctioned strength. According to Meghwal, the CJI pointed out that the growing inflow of cases required the Supreme Court to maintain a high daily disposal rate. However, the constitution of Constitution Benches inevitably affects that rate, as judges are diverted from regular hearing work. The CJI cited the recently constituted nine-judge Constitution Bench hearing the Sabarimala reference as an example. Therefore, the CJI proposed an increase in the strength of Judges. Following the CJI's letter, the Ordinance was brought on May 17.
About the Act
The Bill was introduced in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament by Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on July 20.
It seeks to replace the ordinance promulgated by the President of India to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance 2026 was promulgated to amend Section 2 of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to replace the word "33" therein with "37".
As per Article 124 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court comprises the Chief Justice of India and the number of Judges which the Parliament prescribes by way of law. In May, the Union Cabinet cleared the proposal to increase the strength of Supreme Court Judges. The present working strength of the Supreme Court is 32 (including the CJI).
The last time the number of Supreme Court Judges was increased was in 2019, when it was raised from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI).