Section 20 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Section 20 allows a mediated settlement agreement to be registered "for the purposes of record", at the option of the parties, with an Authority under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 or another body notified by the Central Government. The body issues a unique registration number. Registration is within one hundred and eighty days of receipt of the authenticated copy, with later registration on payment of a fee to be specified.
Registration under section 20 is optional ("at the option of parties") and is "for the purposes of record". It is made with a legal services Authority or a body notified by the Central Government, which issues a unique registration number. The parties or the mediation service provider may apply within one hundred and eighty days of receiving the authenticated copy; later registration is allowed on payment of a fee as may be specified, and the Act gives no amount. Registration does not affect the rights to enforce or challenge. The Act comes into force by notification, and the date is not in the text consulted.
Section 20(1): what may be registered, and where
Section 20(1) says "For the purposes of record, mediated settlement agreement arrived at between the parties, other than those arrived in a court or tribunal referred mediation or award of Lok Adalat or final award of the Permanent Lok Adalat under section 21 or section 22E of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, may, at the option of parties, be registered with an Authority constituted under the said Act, or any other body as may be notified by the Central Government, in such manner as may be specified and such Authority or body shall issue a unique registration number to such settlement agreements".
Taking the sentence apart:
| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| Purpose | "For the purposes of record" |
| What can be registered | A mediated settlement agreement arrived at between the parties |
| What is excluded | Settlements arrived at in a court or tribunal referred mediation; an award of Lok Adalat; a final award of the Permanent Lok Adalat under section 21 or section 22E of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 |
| Choice | "At the option of parties": registration is not compulsory |
| Where | An Authority constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, or any other body notified by the Central Government |
| Manner | "As may be specified", so by regulations of the Mediation Council of India |
| Result | A unique registration number |
The manner of registration, forms, fees and the body notified are not in the text consulted, so this article gives no steps, no form and no amount.
If you hold or expect a settlement and want advice on whether to register it, our mediation services team can walk you through the decision.
The proviso: where to register
The proviso says a settlement under section 20 "may be registered with such Authority or the body situated within the territorial jurisdiction of the court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction to decide the subject matter of dispute". The word is "may", and the Authority or body is the one situated within the territorial jurisdiction of the court or tribunal that would decide the dispute. This ties in with section 13, under which a mediation held elsewhere or online is deemed, for registration, enforcement and challenge, to have been undertaken within that jurisdiction; see our article on sections 13 and 14.
The Explanation: no loss of other rights
The Explanation says "For the removal of doubts, it is clarified that nothing contained in this sub-section shall affect the rights of parties to enforce the mediated settlement agreement under section 27 or challenge the same under section 28." Registration is a record. It does not add to or remove the right to enforce as a decree (see our article on section 27) and does not take away the right to challenge (see our article on section 28). The text does not say that an unregistered agreement is unenforceable, and section 27(1) refers to an agreement "signed by the parties and authenticated by the mediator", not to registration.
Section 20(2): who registers and within what time
Section 20(2) says registration "may be made by the parties or mediation service provider within a period of one hundred and eighty days from the date of receipt of authenticated copy of mediated settlement agreement". So the applicant can be the parties or, in institutional mediation, the provider, and the one hundred and eighty days run from receipt of the authenticated copy. In institutional mediation, the copy is first forwarded to the provider with a covering letter under section 19(3)(i), and parties receive a copy as well. Because the text says "receipt of authenticated copy", the date of receipt matters; see our article on section 19.
The proviso to 20(2). "Mediated settlement agreement may be allowed to be registered after the expiry of period of one hundred and eighty days on payment of such fee as may be specified in consultation with the Authority or any other body referred to in sub-section (1)." Late registration is therefore possible and depends on a fee. The fee is "as may be specified in consultation with the Authority or any other body", and the Act gives no amount. The word "allowed" indicates that late registration is permitted and not claimed as of right, though the text does not set out any criteria.
Timeline table
| Event | Provision | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Authenticated copy received | 19(3), 20(2) | Starting point |
| Registration by parties or provider | 20(2) | Within one hundred and eighty days from receipt |
| Late registration | Proviso to 20(2) | After one hundred and eighty days, on payment of the fee as may be specified |
| Challenge to the agreement | 28(3) | Ninety days from receipt of the copy under 19(3), with a further ninety days on sufficient cause |
The registration period and the challenge period are separate. Registering does not stop the ninety days under section 28(3) from running.
Why register at all?
The Act does not state an advantage beyond the words "for the purposes of record". A registered agreement carries a unique registration number issued by the Authority or body, which gives a verifiable record of the settlement. Whether to register is a business decision: it gives a certain record, and the Act makes it optional. Settlements reached in court or tribunal referred mediation, and Lok Adalat awards, are outside this registration route.
Community mediation
Section 44 deals with the procedure for community mediation and links it to registration under this section; the details are in our article on community mediation procedure.
Need help deciding on registration?
Registration is optional, time-bound and dependent on regulations that you will need to check. We can help you decide, track the one hundred and eighty days and prepare the documents through our mediation services.
Key takeaways
- Registration is at the option of the parties and is "for the purposes of record" (section 20(1)).
- The Authority under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, or a body notified by the Central Government, issues a unique registration number.
- Registration may be made by the parties or the provider within one hundred and eighty days from receipt of the authenticated copy (section 20(2)).
- Late registration is on payment of a fee as may be specified, and no amount is given.
- Registration does not affect the right to enforce under section 27 or challenge under section 28.
Read next
- Section 19 of the Mediation Act, 2023: mediated settlement agreement
- Section 27 of the Mediation Act, 2023: enforcement of mediated settlement agreement
- Section 28 of the Mediation Act, 2023: challenge to mediated settlement agreement
- Execution petition: decree enforcement procedure under CPC
Disclaimer: Based on the Mediation Act, 2023 as enacted and published in the Gazette of India on 15 September 2023, as consulted on 2 October 2026. The Act comes into force by notification; the commencement of each provision, the rules and the regulations should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.