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The Ministry of Law and Justice has been allocated ₹4,509.06 crore in the Union Budget for the financial year 2026–27, which is around ₹400 crore less than the previous year. The budgetary allocation for the department in 2025-26 was ₹4,998.24 crore, while the revised estimate was ₹5,189 crore.
The government has increased funding to the Election Commission of India by around ₹80 crore, with the constitutional body receiving ₹382.20 crore in 2026–27. In the previous year, the Election Commission was allocated ₹304 crore. The allocation for elections also increased to ₹ 367.99 crore, compared to around ₹ 302 crore last year.
The Supreme Court saw an increase of around ₹ 75 crore in its allocation for 2026-27 with a provision of ₹ 622.11 crore. The allocation in 2025-26 was ₹547 crore, while the revised estimate was around ₹633 crore.
An amount of ₹810 crore has been allocated for judicial infrastructure development, which is less than the ₹998 crore provided last year. Of this, ₹200 million was earmarked for setting up fast-track courts, while ₹2 million was allocated for village courts.
The e-Courts Phase III project has received ₹1,200 crore, reflecting the Centre’s emphasis on digital and paperless justice. The National Mission for Justice and Legal Reforms was allocated ₹1,240 crore, marginally more than the previous year.
More attention was also paid to legal assistance. The Defense Legal Aid Scheme, which aims to provide free and quality legal representation at the district level, has been allocated ₹300 crore. Funding for the National Legal Services Authority has been increased to ₹250 million, from ₹200 million in 2025-26.
Published – 01 Feb 2026 19:48 IST
