Govt. introduces Bill in Lok Sabha to raise strength of judges in SC to 38, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• The Union government introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges.
• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill aims to raise the number of judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
• This move seeks to address the mounting backlog of cases, with 92,101 cases pending as of January 1, 2026.
• The Bill replaces the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, which was promulgated in May.

Detailed Insights:

• The Bill was introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal amidst parliamentary protests.
• The increase in sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Justice, will bring the total to 38.
• In 2025, the Supreme Court registered 75,410 new cases while disposing of only 65,615, contributing to the rising pendency.
• Augmenting the court's strength is considered an effective measure to reduce the backlog and improve docket management.
• The increased strength will enable the Chief Justice of India to constitute Constitution Benches more regularly.
• The financial outlay for four additional judges and staff is estimated at ₹10.56 crore annually and ₹3.47 crore one-time expenditure.
• The Union Cabinet had approved the proposal, leading to the President promulgating the ordinance earlier.
• Four judges have already been appointed to the Supreme Court following the enhanced sanctioned strength under the ordinance.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Sanctioned Strength: The maximum number of judges officially permitted to serve in a particular court.
• Ordinance: A law promulgated by the President of India when Parliament is not in session, having the same force as an Act of Parliament.
• Constitution Bench: A bench of five or more judges of the Supreme Court constituted to hear cases involving a substantial question of law concerning the interpretation of the Constitution.