**Executive Summary**
On May 5, 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the introduction of The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. The bill seeks to amend the 1956 Act to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. This expansion aims to improve judicial efficiency and ensure the delivery of speedy justice, with all related expenditures to be met by the Consolidated Fund of India.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Proposed Legislative Changes**
* Introduction of The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, to Parliament.
* Formal amendment of The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
* **Increase in Judicial Strength**
* The total number of judges will rise by four, moving from the current 33 to a total of 37.
* The sanctioned strength excludes the Chief Justice of India.
* **Financial and Operational Provisions**
* Enhanced judicial strength is intended to facilitate speedier justice and more efficient court operations.
* Salaries, supporting staff costs, and facility expenses will be funded through the Consolidated Fund of India.
* **Historical Context of Judge Strength**
* Original 1950 Constitutional provision: Chief Justice and maximum seven judges.
* 1956: Increased to 10 judges.
* 1960: Increased to 13 judges.
* 1977: Increased to 17 judges.
* 1986: Increased to 25 judges.
* 2008: Increased to 30 judges.
* 2019: Last increase from 30 to 33 judges.
**Impact Analysis**
**Supreme Court of India**
**Impact**
The court will gain four additional judges, allowing for more effective functioning and a reduction in delays to ensure speedy justice.
**Action Required**
Prepare for the integration of new judges and additional supporting staff into the judicial system.
**Parliament of India**
**Impact**
Legislative responsibility to process the proposed amendment bill.
**Action Required**
Review and deliberate on the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, for enactment.
**Union Government / Ministry of Finance**
**Impact**
Increased financial liability for salaries and infrastructure.
**Action Required**
Ensure the allocation of necessary funds from the Consolidated Fund of India to cover judges' salaries, staff, and facilities.
Key Entities Referenced
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026: Proposed legislation introduced to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956: The principal legislation that governs the maximum number of judges in the Supreme Court, which the 2026 Bill seeks to amend.
Supreme Court of India: The apex judicial body whose judge capacity is being expanded to improve efficiency and ensure speedy justice.
Constitution of India: Referenced for Article 124(1), which establishes the Supreme Court and empowers Parliament to prescribe the number of judges.
Consolidated Fund of India: The primary government fund from which the salaries, staff, and facilities for the additional judges will be financed.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves increase in the Judge strength
of the Supreme Court of India by Four to 37 from
33
Posted On: 05 MAY 2026 7:22PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has approved the proposal
for introducing The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to amend
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 for increasing the number of Judges of the Supreme
Court of India by 4 from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
Point-wise details:
Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 provides for increasing the number of Judges
of the Supreme Court by 04 i.e. from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
Major Impact:
The increase in the number of Judges will allow Supreme Court to function more efficiently and
effectively ensuring speedy justice.
Expenditure:
The expenditure on salary of Judges and supporting staff and other facilities will be met from the
Consolidated Fund of India.
Background:
Article 124 (1) in Constitution of India inter-alia provided “There shall be a Supreme Court of India
consisting of a Chief Justice of India and, until Parliament by law prescribes a larger number, of not
more than seven other Judges…”.
An act to increase the Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was enacted in 1956 vide The
Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act 1956. Section 2 of the Act provided for the maximum number of
Judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India) to be 10.
The Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was increased to 13 by The Supreme Court (Number of
Judges) Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act,
1977. The working strength of the Supreme Court of India was, however, restricted to 15 Judges by the
Cabinet, excluding the Chief Justice of India, till the end of 1979, when the restriction was withdrawn at
the request of the Chief Justice of India.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986 further augmented the Judge strength of
the Supreme Court of India, excluding the Chief Justice of India, from 17 to 25. Subsequently, The
Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2008 further augmented the Judge strength of the
Supreme Court of India from 25 to 30.The Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the Chief
Justice of India) by further amending the original act vide The Supreme Court (Number of Judges)
Amendment Act, 2019.
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