New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to appoint four additional judges to the Supreme Court, increasing the sanctioned strength from 33 to 37.
The Supreme Court’s judge strength has been expanded in phases since the Supreme Court Judges (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, which originally provided for 10 judges apart from the Chief Justice of India. Over the years, the number was revised periodically, including a rise from 25 to 30 after 22 years.
The last revision came in 2019, when approval was granted for three additional judges, taking the strength (excluding the Chief Justice) to 33.
The latest expansion follows recommendations seeking more judges to expedite disposal of around 92,000 pending cases. The government is expected to introduce the Supreme Court Judges (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament soon.
