Datanomics: More judges in the Supreme Court, but backlog mounting

Supreme Court strength raised to 37 judges as pendency crosses critical levels

President Droupadi Murmu has promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of the apex court from 33 to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The move comes amid persistently high pendency and concerns over the court’s ability to manage its caseload. Data show that every major expansion in judicial strength over the decades has been accompanied by rising pending cases. While increasing the number of judges is intended to ease the burden, the backlog remains substantial. 

Number of judges rises, so do pending cases

 

 

Disposals rise, but filings stay ahead

 

The Supreme Court’s disposal capacity has expanded substantially over the decades, with annual disposals rising from 525 cases in 1950 to over 29,000 in 2026. But filings have repeatedly stayed ahead of disposals, contributing to the continued buildup of pending cases. 

  Delays stretch across years 

Pendency is not limited to recent cases. While 32 per cent of pending matters are under a year old, 43 per cent have been pending for three years or more, including 10 per cent unresolved for over a decade now.