noun
mandatory statute; compelling law
A legal term for a statutory provision that cannot be overridden by private agreement; often contrasted with 任意規定 (non-mandatory provision).
この条項は強行規定であり、当事者の合意によっても変更できない。
This clause is a mandatory provision and cannot be altered even by agreement of the parties.
任意規定 is a non-mandatory provision that can be modified by private agreement, whereas 強行規定 is compulsory and overrides any contrary agreement.
Compound of 強行 (kyōkō, 'enforcement, compulsion') and 規定 (kitei, 'provision, rule'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is a standard legal expression.