The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has notified the Court Fees (Delhi Amendment) Act, 2026 on February 19, 2026.

The amendment introduces a significant change to the Court Fees Act, 1870 as applicable to Delhi by substituting Section 16, which deals with refund of court fees. Under the amended provision, where parties to a suit or appeal settle their dispute amicably at any stage, the plaintiff or counter-claimant will be entitled to a certificate from the court authorising refund of the entire court fee paid on the plaint or counter-claim.

The refund will be available irrespective of whether the settlement is reached with or without the intervention of the court, and whether or not the parties invoke any of the dispute resolution mechanisms under Section 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. The entitlement arises once the court disposes of the suit, including any counter-claim, or the appeal as settled or compromised.

The amendment also omits Section 16A, which had earlier been inserted through the Court Fees (Delhi Amendment) Act, 2010. The new framework effectively consolidates the refund mechanism under the substituted Section 16.