President Gives Assent to Supreme Court Judges Strength Bill; Number of Judges Raised To 37

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026has received President’s assent on August 11, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of judges of the Supreme Court, excluding the Chief Justice of India, from 33 to 37.

The development follows the Lok Sabha’s passage of the Bill on August 3, 2026, without debate amid disruptions in the House. As reported earlier by The Bar Bulletin, the Bill sought to provide for four additional puisne judges, taking the total sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court, including the CJI, from 34 to 38. The proposal had been approved by the Union Cabinet in May following a request from the judiciary. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had stated that the additional strength would enable the Supreme Court to function more effectively and facilitate speedier delivery of justice.

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The Bill subsequently cleared the Rajya Sabha and received Presidential assent, bringing the amendment into force. The Act substitutes “thirty-three” with “thirty-seven” in Section 2 of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. It is deemed to have come into force from May 16, 2026.

The Act also repeals the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, which had preceded the legislation, while saving actions already taken under the Ordinance.