Centre clears expansion of Supreme Court bench strength
New Delhi, May 5: The Central Government has approved a proposal to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court. The government will introduce a bill in Parliament to this effect. Currently, there are 34 judges, including the Chief Justice. This will be increased to a total of 38.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the proposal to introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament. This bill aims to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, increasing the number of judges in the Supreme Court by four, from 33 to 37.
The government states that the increase in the number of judges will enable the Supreme Court to function more efficiently and effectively and ensure speedy justice.
It is noteworthy that the number of judges in the Supreme Court has been increased from time to time. In 2008, the number of judges was increased from 25 to 30. Earlier in 2019, under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the number was increased from 30 to 33.
