New Delhi, August 5: Parliament on Wednesday approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, paving the way for an increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill after it had already been cleared by the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The legislation replaces the May 2026 Ordinance that had temporarily expanded the court’s sanctioned strength and marks the first increase in the number of Supreme Court judges since 2019.
Moving the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the increase was necessary to address the growing workload of the apex court, rising case pendency and the evolving nature of constitutional and legal matters.
“Keeping in view the increasing workload of the judiciary, the changing nature of judicial matters, and the new questions of emerging constitutional and legal interpretations, increasing the number of judges in the Supreme Court is a demand of the time and also a timely reform,” Meghwal said during the debate.
The minister informed the House that Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant had written to the Prime Minister highlighting a significant rise in fresh case filings and the need for additional judges to maintain the court’s disposal rate. He said the CJI had estimated an annual gap of nearly 10,000 cases if the existing strength was not increased.
According to Meghwal, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal on May 5, 2026, following which an Ordinance was promulgated. Five new Supreme Court judges were appointed on June 1, 2026, and four special benches have since been constituted to hear the oldest pending civil and criminal cases.
Citing data from the National Judicial Data Grid, the minister said that as of July 16, 2026, the Supreme Court had 96,024 pending cases, while High Courts had 64.72 lakh pending cases and district and subordinate courts had 4.98 crore pending cases.
During the discussion, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sasmit Patra welcomed the legislation but stressed that judicial infrastructure must be strengthened alongside increasing the number of judges.
He referred to the Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee constituted by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant and highlighted the Supreme Court’s need for additional courtrooms, judges’ chambers, advocates’ chambers and improved facilities for lawyers.
Patra also pointed out the shortage of space for advocates, stating that 234 chambers are currently being used by 468 advocates, while the requirement is estimated at 400 to 500 chambers.
Responding to the concerns, Meghwal said expansion work worth ₹795.53 crore is underway in two phases at the Supreme Court complex. The project includes 28 new courtrooms, nine Constitution Bench courtrooms, 42 judges’ chambers, enhanced facilities for lawyers and additional parking infrastructure.
With the Rajya Sabha’s approval, the Bill has completed its parliamentary journey and now awaits the President’s assent to become law. The legislation is expected to strengthen the Supreme Court’s capacity to handle its increasing caseload and improve the pace of judicial proceedings.
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