The President of India has given assent to the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act 2026. The Act will increase the sanctioned power of Supreme Court docket judges from 34 to 38, together with the Chief Justice of India.
The Lok Sabha had cleared the Invoice on August 3. It was considered and returned from the Rajya Sabha subsequently. Through the debates within the Rajya Sabha, the Union Legislation Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal disclosed that the proposal to extend the sanctioned power of the Supreme Court docket was initiated after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant wrote to the Prime Minister in search of the enhancement.
The Legislation Minister revealed that CJI Surya Kant had written to the Prime Minister on Might 11 requesting a rise within the Court docket’s sanctioned power. In accordance with Meghwal, the CJI identified that the rising influx of instances required the Supreme Court docket to take care of a excessive each day disposal price. Nonetheless, the structure of Structure Benches inevitably impacts that price, as judges are diverted from common listening to work. The CJI cited the lately constituted nine-judge Structure Bench listening to the Sabarimala reference for example. Due to this fact, the CJI proposed a rise within the power of Judges. Following the CJI’s letter, the Ordinance was introduced on Might 17.
In regards to the Act
The Invoice was introduced within the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament by Union Minister of Legislation and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on July 20.
It seeks to interchange the ordinance promulgated by the President of India to extend the variety of Supreme Court docket judges from 34 to 38, together with the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court docket (Variety of Judges) Modification Ordinance 2026 was promulgated to amend Part 2 of the Supreme Court docket (Variety of Judges) Act, 1956, to interchange the phrase “33” therein with “37”.
As per Article 124 of the Structure, the Supreme Court docket includes the Chief Justice of India and the variety of Judges which the Parliament prescribes by the use of legislation. In Might, the Union Cupboard cleared the proposal to extend the power of Supreme Court docket Judges. The current working power of the Supreme Court docket is 32 (together with the CJI).
The final time the variety of Supreme Court docket Judges was increased was in 2019, when it was raised from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI).
