Govt tables bill in Lok Sabha to increase Supreme Court bench to 38 judges

Govt tables bill in Lok Sabha to increase Supreme Court bench to 38 judges

Theindiapostdaily.com – On Monday, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal unveiled a bill in the Lok Sabha aimed at expanding the Supreme Court’s judicial bench to 38 members, addressing the growing backlog of cases. The proposal follows a Cabinet nod in May 2026, which paved the way for the appointment of five new judges on June 1 to help reduce the pending workload in the apex court.

About the Bill

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeks parliamentary approval to elevate the court’s sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). This move aims to streamline legal proceedings, as the current working strength of the bench stands at 32, including the CJI.

Case Pendency Data

According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), a government-run portal, as many as 92,249 cases are pending in the Supreme Court, of which 35,808 (38%) are less than a year old. The oldest case still pending before the court is from 1986, according to the NJDG.

In 2025, the Supreme Court resolved 56,342 cases compared to 60,948 new filings, as reported by the data. This highlights the persistent challenge of case accumulation, with the apex court struggling to keep pace with its caseload.

Collegium and Judicial Structure

The collegium, responsible for recommending judicial appointments and transfers, is led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprises the two most senior puisne judges, Justices Vikram Nath and J.K. Maheshwari. A puisne judge in a high court or Supreme Court refers to a judge who is ranked lower in seniority than the chief justice of that particular court.

Lower Court Burden

Meanwhile, lower courts in India continue to grapple with significant case backlogs. NJDG data indicates that district courts hold 31.15 million criminal cases and 6.13 million civil suits in pending status. In 2026, district courts have processed 12.89 million cases, as per the data, while 14.68 million new cases have been added during the same period.

The primary factor contributing to the escalating backlog, as per NJDG data, is the shortage of legal counsel in approximately 6 million cases.