Cabinet Approves Expansion of Supreme Court Judges Strength
Why in the News ?
The Union Cabinet has approved a Bill to increase the strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India from 34 to 38, aiming to improve judicial efficiency, reduce pendency, and facilitate faster hearing of constitutional and regular matters.
Key Features of the Cabinet Decision:
- The Union Cabinet approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026.
- The Bill seeks to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
- Including the CJI, the total strength of the Court will rise from 34 to 38 judges.
- The move comes ahead of the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
- The government stated that the expansion would improve the Court’s efficiency and effectiveness.
- The proposal followed recommendations reportedly made by Surya Kant earlier this year.
- The increase is aimed at enabling the formation of a permanent Constitution Bench.
- The decision also addresses the issue of increasing pendency of cases and shortage of judges.
Reasons Behind Increasing Judicial Strength
- The Supreme Court is currently handling a large number of constitutional and regular matters simultaneously.
- Important pending cases, including matters related to the Sabarimala review, require larger Constitution Benches.
- Several judges are expected to retire in 2026, creating potential vacancies.
- Justice Rajesh Bindal has already retired, while more retirements are scheduled later this year.
- The Court faces challenges in balancing daily hearings with Constitution Bench matters.
- The government believes increasing judge strength will ensure speedy justice, especially for poor and remote litigants.
- Union ministers highlighted that more judges would help reduce case backlog and judicial delays.
- The move reflects growing concern over the need for judicial reforms and institutional capacity building.
| About Supreme Court Structure & Constitutional Provisions: ● The Supreme Court of India is established under Article 124 of the Constitution. ● Parliament determines the number of judges through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. ● Originally, the Court had 1 Chief Justice and 7 judges. ● Judge strength was increased in: ○ 1960 → 13 judges○ 1977 → 17 judges ○ 1986, 2008, 2019 → further expansions ● Constitution Bench: ○ Under Article 145(3), at least five judges hear substantial constitutional questions. ● Pendency Issue: ○ Large backlog of cases affects access to timely justice .● Collegium System: ○ The CJI and senior judges recommend judicial appointments. ● Significance: ○ Increasing judicial capacity is essential for judicial efficiency, constitutional governance, and rule of law. |