The Lok Sabha passes the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, aiming to increase the number of judges from 33 to 37 to address the rising number of pending cases.
On a given day, the Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. The bill seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, with an aim to increase the number of judges from the current 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill, stating that it is an important step in the ongoing reform process within the judicial sector. He mentioned that the bill has been brought in view of the rising number of pending cases in the Supreme Court and to make the judicial system more efficient and effective.
President Droupadi Murmu had promulgated an ordinance in May this year to increase the number of Supreme Court Judges from 33 to 37. As on 1st January this year, over 92 thousand cases are pending in the Supreme Court. Despite working at near-full sanctioned capacity of 34 judges since 2019, the Supreme Court recorded institution of 75 thousand 410 fresh matters last year against a disposal of more than 65 thousand cases.
The persistent gap between the institution and final disposal of cases underscores the continuing challenge of docket management, particularly with respect to older pending matters and cases requiring adjudication by larger Benches.
Source:
Akashvani News
