How many people are on the Supreme Court?

There haven't always been nine justices on the court. The U.S. Constitution established the Supreme Court but left it to Congress to decide how many justices should make up the court. The Judiciary Act of 1789 set the number at six: a chief justice and five associate justices. read more

Supreme Court of the United States The ratification of the United States Constitution established the Supreme Court in 1789. Its powers are detailed in Article Three of the Constitution. read more

The Judiciary Act of 1789 established three circuit courts for the new United States, and each circuit would be manned by two Supreme Court judges who would ride the circuit for part of the year, and be based in the then-capital of Philadelphia the rest of the time. read more

The United States Supreme Court comprises one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, along with a total of nine Court Officers. As outlined in the Constitution, the number of justices permitted at any one time, which is currently nine, is set by Congress. read more