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More Supreme Court judges welcome, but wider reforms needed: experts
India's Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
It has a very big problem: way too many cases are waiting to be heard.
In early 2026, more than 92,000 cases were waiting.
That happens partly because new cases arrive faster than judges can finish old ones.
The government decided to help by adding more judges to the Court.
Parliament's Lok Sabha passed a new law to increase the number of judges from 34 to 38.
The law minister said this is one of the best ways to fix the backlog of cases.
Many legal experts like the idea, but they say adding judges is not enough.
They say the courts also need better buildings, faster hiring of judges, and new technology.
Some experts say the Supreme Court should be pickier about which cases it hears.
The Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, raising the number of judges excluding the Chief Justice of India from 33 to 37.
The Supreme Court's total sanctioned strength will increase from 34 to 38 judges.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal called the increase 'one of the most exigent and viable solutions' for tackling the pending-case backlog.
As of January 1, 2026, 92,101 cases were pending before the Supreme Court; in 2025 the Court received 75,410 fresh matters while disposing of 65,615.
Legal experts broadly welcomed the move but cautioned that adding judges alone will not solve pendency, calling for broader judicial and institutional reforms.
- Who
- The Lok Sabha, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Chief Justice of India's office, and legal experts including Gopal Jain, Pallavi Shroff, Sajan Poovayya, Saurabh Kirpal and others.
- What
- Passage of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which raises the Court's total sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges, drew mixed reactions from legal experts.
- Where
- Lok Sabha and the Supreme Court of India.
- When
- The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday; pendency figures are as of January 1, 2026.
- Why
- The increase aims to tackle the mounting backlog of cases before the Supreme Court and enable more regular Constitution Benches.
Backers of the judge increase
Advocates of deeper judicial reforms
Solving the case backlog
Backers of the judge increase
Adding judges is one of the most exigent and viable solutions and gives a fillip to the cause of justice, adding strength, efficiency and expertise.
Advocates of deeper judicial reforms
Merely increasing the number of judges will not solve pendency; the real bottlenecks lie in the High Courts, district judiciary and tribunals, requiring infrastructure, procedural and appointment reforms.
How the Court should manage its docket
Backers of the judge increase
More judges will allow the Chief Justice of India to constitute Constitution Benches more regularly to hear cases involving substantial questions of law.
Advocates of deeper judicial reforms
The Court should be more selective in choosing the cases it hears and maintain greater judicial discipline and consistency instead of relying only on more judges.
Where reform should focus
Backers of the judge increase
Strengthening the Supreme Court's capacity may produce a cascading effect that reduces pendency across other courts.
Advocates of deeper judicial reforms
The real solution lies in strengthening the High Courts so fewer matters reach the Supreme Court, rationalising jurisdiction, improving case management and leveraging technology.
Key facts
- Bill
- Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026
- Judges (excluding Chief Justice of India)
- Increased from 33 to 37
- Total sanctioned strength
- Increased from 34 to 38
- Pending cases (as of January 1, 2026)
- 92,101
- Fresh matters filed in 2025
- 75,410
- Cases disposed of in 2025
- 65,615
- Passed by
- Lok Sabha
- Law Minister
- Arjun Ram Meghwal
Quotes
Arjun Ram Meghwal
Law Minister of India
“"merely increasing the number of judges will not solve the problem of pendency"”
financialexpress.com
“"one of the most exigent and viable solutions"”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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