Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 20, 2026, to replace an ordinance issued earlier. It aims to increase the number of Supreme Court judges, addressing judicial backlog and workload.
Background
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, originally set the number of judges. Over time, amendments have increased the strength. The current Bill seeks to raise the number from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice).
Key facts
The Bill amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
It increases the number of Supreme Court judges (excluding CJI) from 33 to 37.
The Bill replaces the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026 issued on May 16, 2026.
Introduced in Lok Sabha on July 20, 2026.
Ministry of Law and Justice is the sponsoring ministry.
Prelims pointers
- Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956
- Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026
- Ordinance issued on May 16, 2026
- Lok Sabha introduction: July 20, 2026
- Ministry of Law and Justice
Mains angles
- Discuss the need for increasing the number of Supreme Court judges in light of pendency and workload.
- Critically examine the use of ordinances to amend laws related to the judiciary.
- Analyze the impact of judicial strength on the efficiency of the Supreme Court.