NEW DELHI, AUGUST 13: The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court has officially been augmented to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India, after President Droupadi Murmu provided assent to the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2026. The statutory change repeal and replaces an executive ordinance issued in May, protecting all interim judicial proceedings conducted under the previous decree.
The step responds directly to structural demands created by heavier case dockets and the administrative requirements of convening multi-judge benches. During 2025, the Supreme Court received over 75,000 fresh filings while clearing approximately 65,000 cases, contributing to a total backlog exceeding 92,000 pending matters at the start of this year.
“The increase in strength would improve judicial capacity, facilitate the constitution of larger Benches and help reduce the backlog,” representatives of the Ministry of Law and Justice maintained while outlining the framework of the measure.
The proposal originated from a formal request sent by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to the executive leadership, citing the administrative strain of assigning judges to long-standing Constitution Bench hearings. Parliament subsequently processed the legislation during the Monsoon Session, with the Lok Sabha approving the bill before the Rajya Sabha reviewed and returned it as a certified money bill under constitutional provisions.
Prior to this measure, the sanctioned capacity of the highest court stood at 34 judges following a statutory revision in 2019. The expanded framework provides additional positions to help maintain daily case hearings while accommodating specialized constitutional references.
