In Focus podcast | Will increasing the strength of the SC solve the pendency problem?
The Indian government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the Supreme Court's sanctioned judge strength from 34 to 38. The move aims to address the massive backlog of over 93,000 pending cases and improve judicial efficiency.
Why it matters
This policy change directly impacts the speed and accessibility of justice in India's highest court, sparking debate on whether structural expansion effectively solves systemic delays.
On May 16, the President promulgated an ordinance increasing the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges. The ordinance is expected to be tabled during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The move came just days after the Union Cabinet approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, stating that the addition of four judges would enable the apex court to function more efficiently and facilitate “speedy justice”. According to data from the National Judicial Data Grid, pendency before the apex court currently stands at a staggering 93,966 cases.
The article presents the government's stated goal alongside expert discussion, maintaining a neutral, informative tone.
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