Cupboard approves Invoice to extend power of Supreme Court docket by 4
2 min learnNew DelhiCould 5, 2026 07:48 PM IST
Forward of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Union Cupboard on Tuesday authorised a Invoice to extend the power of the Supreme Court docket from the present 34 to 38.
In a press release, the federal government mentioned the Cupboard, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, authorised the Supreme Court docket (Variety of Judges) Modification Invoice, 2026, which seeks to amend the Supreme Court docket (Variety of Judges) Act, 1956 to extend the power of the court docket by 4. At present, the Act gives for a most of 33 judges of the Supreme Court docket, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The modification will increase that to 37 judges, excluding the CJI.
“The rise within the variety of Judges will permit the Supreme Court docket to perform extra effectively and successfully, guaranteeing speedy justice. The expenditure on wage of Judges and supporting workers and different amenities can be met from the Consolidated Fund of India,” the federal government mentioned.
The final time the power of the court docket was elevated was in 2019, when an modification was handed to extend it from 30 to 33, excluding the CJI. Initially, the Act had offered for a most of 10 judges, excluding the CJI, which was elevated to 13 in 1960 after which 17 in 1977.
“The working power of the Supreme Court docket of India was, nonetheless, restricted to fifteen Judges by the Cupboard, excluding the Chief Justice of India, until the tip of 1979, when the restriction was withdrawn on the request of the Chief Justice of India,” the federal government mentioned.
The power was additional elevated in 1986, 2008 and 2019.
