Parliament Passes Bill Increasing Number Of Apex Court Judges From 33 To 37

Parliament has passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, with the Rajya Sabha returning the legislation to the Lok Sabha after a discussion. The Lok Sabha had passed it on Monday. The bill amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, for increasing the number of Judges of the Apex Court from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India). In May this year, President Droupadi Murmu had promulgated an ordinance to increase the number of Supreme Court Judges from 33 to 37.

Replying to debate in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said, the Narendra Modi Government is working with the motto of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas. He said, people of the country are witnessing reforms in every sector, and this legislation is a part of judicial reforms. The Minister said, it will enhance judicial efficiency in the Supreme Court. He said that, as per the need, the strength of judges in the apex court is increased regularly.

The Minister said, the government has taken several initiatives for the speedy disposal of cases by the judiciary. He said that, in view of the increasing workload of the judiciary, the evolving nature of judicial matters, and the emerging constitutional and legal interpretation issues, increasing the number of judges in the Supreme Court is the need of the hour and a timely reform.
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Vivek Tankha of Congress questioned the motive of bringing an ordinance to increase the number of Supreme Court Judges from 33 to 37. He said, 95 thousand cases are pending in the Supreme Court.

Participating in the discussion, Sangeeta Yadav of BJP described the Bill related to increasing the number of judges in the Supreme Court as a historic and visionary step. She highlighted that the bill aims to ensure accessible and effective justice for the citizens of the country. Ms Yadav noted that many cases are pending for more than a decade. She termed the Bill as an important step towards strengthening the judicial system in the country.

Dr Menaka Guruswamy of TMC claimed that there is 30 per cent vacancy in all the High Courts. Supporting the Bill, R Girirajan of DMK said that the increase in the number of Judges is expected to bring down the number of pending cases in the Supreme Court. Dr Sasmit Patra of BJD also supported the legislation. He also stressed the need for infrastructure development in the Supreme Court and High Courts. S Niranjan Reddy of YSRCP highlighted that the number of cases per judge has increased exponentially.

I S Inbadurai of AIADMK supported the bill, saying that increasing the sanctioned strength to 38 Judges in the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice of India, is a timely and necessary reform. He also urged the government to fill up the vacant positions of Judges in Madras High Court as there are only 52 Judges against the sanctioned strength of 75 Judges. Dr Jyoti N Waghmare of Shiv Sena supported the bill, saying that the legislation will instil a new confidence among the people and ensure speedy justice. Rajendra Jain of NCP, Sanjay Singh of AAP, Milind Deora of Shiv Sena, Vijay Chintakayala of TDP, Mahua Maji of JMM, among others, participated in the discussion.

After returning the bill to the Lok Sabha, the House took up Special Mention in which various members raised issues of public importance. After completing the business, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the House for the day to meet again at 11:00 AM tomorrow.