An Ordinance has been promulgated to raise the Supreme Court's sanctioned judge strength from 33 to 38. This amendment could enhance the court's capacity to handle cases and improve judicial efficiency.
President Increases Supreme Court Judge Strength to 38
President Droupadi Murmu has taken a significant step to augment the strength of judges in the Supreme Court, raising the sanctioned number from 33 to 37, not including the Chief Justice of India. This change comes via the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, which was published in the Gazette of India on May 16.
The ordinance amends Section 2 of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, replacing the figure “thirty-three” with “thirty-seven.” This implies that the full strength of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, can now total 38 judges, thereby potentially improving the court's operational capacity.
This amendment is expected to alleviate the existing burden on the Supreme Court by enabling it to handle a more significant number of cases. With the increase in judicial manpower, it is anticipated that the court's ability to deliver timely justice will be enhanced.
For legal practitioners, this uptick in judicial capacity signals a positive trend in addressing case backlogs. Law firms may find opportunities arising from a more responsive judicial environment as the Supreme Court gears up to manage its increased workload more efficiently.
Citations
- Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance (2026)
