New Delhi, May 7 -- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday welcomed the Union Government's decision to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 38 judges, including the CJI, saying the move would help address the rising pendency of cases and ensure faster disposal of matters requiring Constitution Bench hearings.

Justice Surya Kant told reporters, "The total volume of pending cases in the Supreme Court, as well as the rate at which new cases are being filed, which has been consistently rising year after year, has increased significantly. Keeping this in mind, the Central Government has decided to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges. A legislative provision will be enacted to fac...