Article 124 and the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956
Article 124(1) of the Constitution provides that the Supreme Court shall consist of a Chief Justice of India and "such other judges as Parliament may by law prescribe." This design gives Parliament exclusive authority — by ordinary legislation — to fix the court's numerical strength; no constitutional amendment is required.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 is the primary statute that Parliament uses to exercise this power. As originally enacted, the Act capped the strength at 10 judges (excluding the CJI). Every subsequent expansion has been achieved by amending this Act.
- Original strength (1950, Constitution): 7 judges (1 CJI + 6 puisne)
- Increased to 10 (excluding CJI) in 1956 by the original Act
- Raised to 13 in 1960; to 17 in 1977; to 25 in 1986; to 30 in 2008
- Most recent expansion before 2026: from 30 to 33 (excluding CJI) in 2019 — total 34 including CJI
- Proposed 2026 expansion: from 33 to 37 (excluding CJI) — total 38 including CJI
● Tracked since May 05, 2026 · last seen August 03, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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