Prez Murmu approved an ordinance increasing Supreme Court judge strength from 33 to 37 to reduce case pendency, improve judicial efficiency, and ensure faster justice delivery. The amendment strengthens India’s judicial infrastructure amid rising workloads in the apex court.
The Union government has moved to strengthen the country’s judicial system after President Droupadi Murmu approved an ordinance increasing the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The latest amendment is aimed at tackling the mounting backlog of cases and improving the speed of justice delivery in the nation’s highest court.
The decision was announced by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal through a post on X. According to the minister, the President promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, further amending the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
With the implementation of the ordinance, the total sanctioned strength of the apex court will rise to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. The move comes at a time when the judiciary continues to face an increasing burden of pending litigation across multiple categories of cases.
Officials said the expansion is expected to improve the disposal rate of cases, reduce delays in hearings, and provide more effective judicial administration. The government believes that increasing the number of judges will help the Supreme Court manage its growing workload more efficiently while strengthening public access to timely justice.
The ordinance follows the recent approval by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which had cleared a proposal to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. Earlier this month, the Cabinet approved the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to formally increase the number of judges by four.
The Centre has repeatedly highlighted concerns regarding the sharp rise in pending cases before courts across the country. The Supreme Court, being the apex judicial institution, handles constitutional matters, civil disputes, criminal appeals, and several cases of national importance. Legal experts have often argued that the growing complexity and volume of cases require a larger judicial bench to maintain efficiency.
The law governing the strength of Supreme Court judges was originally enacted in 1956. Since then, Parliament has revised the sanctioned number of judges several times in response to the expanding responsibilities of the judiciary and rising litigation.
The last major increase took place in 2019, when Parliament passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019, raising the judge strength from 30 to 33, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The latest amendment marks another significant expansion of the apex court within a span of seven years.
Legal observers view the ordinance as an important institutional measure aimed at modernising judicial infrastructure and improving the overall efficiency of the justice delivery system. The increase in judicial capacity is also expected to support quicker hearings in long-pending constitutional and public interest matters.
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The government has maintained that judicial reforms and strengthening institutional capacity remain critical for ensuring accessible and timely justice for citizens across the country.
