Strengthening the Apex Court: President Increases Supreme Court Judge Strength to 38

The President of India recently promulgated an ordinance to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. This decision follows the Union Cabinet’s approval of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, and serves as a direct response to the mounting pendency of cases, which has reached approximately 94,000. Under Article 124(1) of the Constitution, the power to determine the number of judges in the Supreme Court rests with Parliament. Historically, the court began with eight judges in 1950, with the strength being periodically revised through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. The last such increase occurred in 2019, which raised the limit from 31 to 34. This latest expansion reflects the growing litigation burden and the complexity of modern legal disputes.