New Delhi, May 17: President Droupadi Murmu has promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, raising the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the chief justice of India.

The move is aimed at addressing the growing pendency of cases and ensuring faster delivery of justice in the country’s highest court.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the development through a post on X.

“The President is pleased to increase the Judge strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 37 Judges (Excluding the Chief Justice of India) by promulgating The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, which has further amended the ‘Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956’,” Meghwal said in his post.

The ordinance comes days after the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. Earlier on May 5, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had cleared the proposal for introducing the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to increase the number of Supreme Court judges by four.

According to the government, the decision has been taken in view of the increasing workload of the apex court and the rising number of pending cases. The expansion in judicial strength is expected to improve efficiency in disposal of matters and reduce delays in hearings.

An Act to increase the judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was originally enacted in 1956. Since then, the sanctioned strength of judges has been revised several times in line with the increasing demands on the judiciary.

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The judge strength of the Supreme Court was last increased in 2019, when Parliament amended the law to raise the number of judges from 30 to 33, excluding the Chief Justice of India, through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019.

With the latest amendment ordinance, the total sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court will now rise to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. The move is being seen as a significant step towards strengthening judicial infrastructure and enhancing access to timely justice across the country.

(IANS)