Mediated settlements require Judicial Approval for enforceability

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court ruled that mediated settlements under the Jammu and Kashmir Mediation and Conciliation Rules, 2019, are only enforceable as decrees after judicial approval.

In this case, a property dispute settlement reached in July 2024 was not submitted for court approval. Justice Sanjay Dhar stressed that mediated agreements must be reduced to writing, signed and forwarded to the court, which must pass a decree for enforceability. 

The court set aside the Trial Court's order, emphasizing the importance of judicial oversight in mediation processes for legal validity.