NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, completing Parliament's approval of the legislation, as the Lok Sabha had already cleared it. The Bill increases the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The bill was moved in the Upper House by Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on Monday by voice vote.
The Bill replaces the May 2026 Ordinance that had already expanded the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges and marks the first increase in the apex court's strength since 2019.
During the debate on the Bill, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sasmit Patra urged the Centre to strengthen the Apex Court's infrastructure alongside expanding its judicial strength. "I hope... the Minister will engage with the Chief Justice of India, with the Bench, and with this committee and try and improve the infrastructural development of the entire judicial ecosystem of our country," Patra said.
Referring to the Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee constituted by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on May 12, Patra said the committee was tasked with examining infrastructure development for the Supreme Court and High Courts across the country.
Highlighting the Apex Court's infrastructure requirements, Patra recalled that former Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud had outlined the need for "27 additional courtrooms, 51 judges' chambers, four registrar courtrooms, 16 registrar chambers, a new Supreme Court Bar Association library, and dedicated offices for the Supreme Court Bar Association and SCORA."
Patra also raised concerns over the shortage of chambers for advocates, stating that "234 chambers are being used by 468 advocates presently," while there is a requirement for "400 to 500 advocate chambers." (ANI)
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