Archive · 10 Jan 2026
Delhi Amends Court Fees Act for Full Refunds on Private Settlements
The Delhi government has changed a law to help people who go to court.
Now, if people settle their disputes outside of court, they can get all of their court fees back.
Before, they only got half of their money back if they settled privately.
This change makes it fairer and encourages people to solve their problems without going to court.
It also helps courts because they have fewer cases to handle.
The law applies to all kinds of disputes, not just those that go through official mediation.
This means more people might choose to settle their disagreements peacefully.
Delhi Legislative Assembly amended the Court Fees Act, 1870, to provide full refunds for all out-of-court settlements.
Previously, only court-referred ADR settlements received full refunds, while private settlements received only 50% refunds.
The amendment encourages litigants to resolve disputes amicably, reducing the burden on overburdened courts.
Court fees vary by case type, with fixed fees for certain petitions and ad valorem fees for others.
In 2024, National Lok Adalats in Delhi received 8.52 lakh cases and disposed of 6.65 lakh, while 680 cases were settled through mediation from April 2024 to March 2025.
- Who
- Litigants in Delhi
- What
- Amendment to the Court Fees Act, 1870, allowing full refunds for all out-of-court settlements
- When
- Passed on Tuesday (specific date not mentioned)
- Where
- Delhi Legislative Assembly
- Why
- To encourage out-of-court settlements and reduce the burden on courts
- Legislation Amended
- Court Fees Act, 1870
- Refund Policy
- Full refund for all out-of-court settlements
- Previous Refund for Private Settlements
- 50% refund
- Previous Refund for Court-Referred ADR
- Full refund
- Court Fee for High Court Petitions (Article 226)
- Rs 100
- Court Fee for Execution of Judgments
- Rs 1,000
- Court Fee for Election Petitions
- Rs 5,000
- Court Fee for IPR Cases
- Rs 5,000
- Ad Valorem Fee for Rs 4 Lakh Suit
- Rs 6,200 (1.5%)
- National Lok Adalats Cases in Delhi (2024)
- 8.52 lakh cases received, 6.65 lakh disposed
- Mediation Settlements in Delhi (2024-2025)
- 680 cases
- Total Mediation Settlements in India (2024-2025)
- 98,000 cases