Lok Sabha passes Bill to raise Supreme Court judge strength to 37
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The Bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for consideration.
The Bill was passed without a formal debate, as Opposition members continued to raise slogans over the NEET paper leak and the alleged theft of donations from the Ram temple. After a brief introductory statement by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Chair invited MPs to speak. However, with the sloganeering continuing, the Bill was put to a voice vote and passed. Following the passage, the House was adjourned for the day.
The Union Cabinet had on May 5 approved the introduction of the Bill in Parliament. The legislation seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, which provides for the strength of judges in the apex court, excluding the Chief Justice.
The government has argued that increasing the number of judges would enable the Supreme Court to function more efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the speedy delivery of justice. The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India, through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019.
Judicial experts and legal observers have often highlighted the growing pendency of cases in the Supreme Court. As of recent data, the court has over 80,000 pending cases. The increase in judge strength is seen as a step to address this backlog, though some legal scholars have noted that infrastructure and appointments are equally important.
The Bill now moves to the Rajya Sabha, where it is expected to be taken up in the ongoing session. If passed by both Houses and assented to by the President, the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength will rise to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
