President Approves Increase in Supreme Court Judge Strength from 34 to 38

Honorable President Droupadi Murmu has approved the increasing the Supreme Court’s judge strength from 34 to 38. This decision is expected to improve the efficiency of the top court and faster disposal of pending cases. This expansion is cleared via the ordinance method and can be looking as a significant judicial reform step.

Supreme Court Judge Strength Officially Increased

The Centre has formally increased the total strength of the Supreme Court. After this ordinance, new strength will now be 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.

This means that the number of judges excluding the CJI rises from 33 to 37.

Respectable Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal confirmed the development.

The change has been made via The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026.

This ordinance has amends the existing Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

Cabinet Approval Came Earlier This Month

The decision was not suddenly taken, On 5th of May 2026, the Union Cabinet chaired by Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal.

The Cabinet had cleared the introduction of The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament.

However, instead of waiting for the full legislative route via Parliament, the government has moved through an ordinance mechanism.

This allowed has immediate the implementation.

Why the Increase in Judge Strength Matters

Over the years India’s Supreme Court has witnessed the steady rise in the number of pending cases. As the increasing litigation and complex constitutional matters the workload of judges has grown day by day. After the addition of four more judges is expected to strengthen judicial capacity and improve the speed of justice delivery.

Also the larger bench strength will help in quicker constitution of benches, faster hearings and timely disposal of cases. It will also reduce the work load pressure on existing judges and improve the overall functioning of the judiciary.

The government has stated that this move will allow the Supreme Court to function more efficiently and effectively along with ensuring speedy justice for citizens.

Constitutional Provision Behind Supreme Court Strength

Under the Article 124(1) of the Constitution of India have the provision about the composition of the Supreme Court. It states that Supreme Court shall consist of the Chief Justice of India and such number of judges as Parliament may prescribe by the law.

Initially the Constitution had allowed a maximum of seven judges apart from the Chief Justice. After time by time with the growth of population, legal disputes, and constitutional responsibilities and Parliament has amended the law several times to increase the court’s strength.

How SC Judge Strength Has Increased Over Time?

Earlier, the original Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 fixed the number of judges at 10 excluding the Chief Justice.

In the year 1960 the strength was increased to 13 judges. It was further expanded to 17 in 1977.

Later strength was rose to 25 via 1986 amendment and then 30 through the 2008 amendment. The last major increase came in 2019 when the strength was raised from 30 to 33 judges.

The latest proposal of 2026 will increase the number to 37 marks another important step in judicial reforms.

Expenditure of Judges

The expenditure related to the salaries, infrastructure, staff and other facilities for the additional judges will be met via the Consolidated Fund of India. The Consolidated Fund of India is the principal financial instrument of the Government of India. It acts as the central repository for all revenues received by the government, all loans raised by it and all repayments of loans made by the government.