# SC judge strength raised to 38, lower courts need reform: MP 2026-08-10T21:59:55+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Parliament has approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026, raising the apex court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges. The Supreme Court had 92,101 pending cases as of January 1, 2026, and received 75,410 fresh filings last year while disposing of 65,615 cases. RS MP Ashok Mittal welcomed the move but stressed that broader reform must focus on district and subordinate courts, which hold nearly 89% of the over five crore pending cases nationwide. He cited the Economic Survey’s observation that contract enforcement delays hurt ease of doing business, urging sustained investment in infrastructure, timely appointments, and digital systems. ## Coverage - legal.economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: Ashok Mittal, district courts, judicial reform, Parliament, pending cases, Supreme Court Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sc-judge-strength-raised-to-38-lower-courts-need-reform-mp/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sc-judge-strength-raised-to-38-lower-courts-need-reform-mp/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.