India's Supreme Court Set to Expand Judge Count from 33 to 37
Cabinet Clears More Supreme Court Judges: How Many Times Has Bench Strength Increased Since 1950
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The Union Cabinet of India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved an increase in the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Justice. This decision addresses the backlog of over 92,000 pending cases and will be formalized through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026.
- 01The Supreme Court's judge count will increase from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice.
- 02This is the first expansion since 2019, aimed at addressing a backlog of over 92,000 cases.
- 03The amendment bill will modify the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
- 04The Supreme Court's strength has been revised multiple times since its establishment in 1950.
- 05The proposal will be discussed in Parliament before formal implementation.
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The Union Cabinet of India, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice. This decision comes nearly six years after the last expansion in 2019 and aims to address the significant backlog of over 92,000 pending cases. To implement this change, the Cabinet has cleared the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which will amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. Since its establishment in 1950, the Supreme Court's bench strength has been revised multiple times to accommodate the growing workload, starting from a mere 8 judges and increasing to 37 with the latest proposal. The bill will now be presented in Parliament for discussion and approval, paving the way for additional appointments in the near future.
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The increase in judges is expected to expedite the judicial process, potentially reducing the backlog of cases and improving access to justice for citizens.
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