2022 Georgia Code
Title 15 - Courts
Chapter 3 - Court of Appeals
§ 15-3-1. Composition; Divisions; How Case Is Heard; Decisions as Precedent; Oral Arguments; Assistance of Other Judges

1. Composition.   The Court of Appeals shall consist of 15 Judges who shall elect one of their number as Chief Judge, in such manner and for such time as may be prescribed by rule or order of the court.
2. Divisions.   The court shall sit in divisions composed of three Judges in each division. The assignment of Judges to each division shall be made by the Chief Judge, and the personnel of the divisions shall from time to time be changed in accordance with rules prescribed by the court. The Chief Judge shall designate the Presiding Judges of the divisions and shall, under rules prescribed by the court, distribute the cases among the divisions in such manner as to equalize their work as far as practicable.
3. How cases heard.
   1. Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, each division shall hear and determine, independently of the others, the cases assigned to it. Two Judges shall constitute a quorum of a division.
   2. The Court of Appeals may provide by rule for certain cases to be heard and determined by more than a single division and the manner in which those Judges will be selected for such cases. When a case is heard and determined by more than a single division, nine Judges shall be necessary to constitute a quorum.
4. Decisions as precedent.   The Court of Appeals shall provide by rule for the establishment of precedent and the manner in which prior decisions of the court may be overruled.
5. Oral arguments.   The Court of Appeals may hear oral arguments at places other than the seat of government. Reasonable notice shall be given of such hearings.
6. Assistance of other judges; procedure.   Whenever the court unanimously determines that the business of the court requires the temporary assistance of an additional judge or additional judges or one additional panel, the court may request the assistance of senior appellate judges as provided in Chapter 3A of this title or senior superior court judges. The Judge whose case assignment is transferred to the additional judge shall not vote on the case.

History. Ga. L. 1916, p. 56, § 1; Code 1933, § 24-3501; Ga. L. 1945, p. 232, §§ 1-3; Ga. L. 1960, p. 158, § 1; Ga. L. 1961, p. 140, § 1; Ga. L. 1967, p. 538, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 15; Ga. L. 1987, p. 291, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 916, § 2; Ga. L. 1996, p. 405, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 513, § 4; Ga. L. 1999, p. 10, § 1; Ga. L. 2015, p. 919, § 1-2/HB 279; Ga. L. 2016, p. 883, § 2-1/HB 927.

Cross references.

Divisions, Rules of the Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia, Rule 18.

Editor’s notes.

Ga. L. 2016, p. 883, § 1-1/HB 927, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Appellate Jurisdiction Reform Act of 2016.’ ”

Law reviews.

For article, “Eleventh Circuit Survey: January 1, 2013 — December 31, 2013: Special Contribution: Open Chambers: Demystifying the Inner Workings and Culture of the Georgia Court of Appeals,” see 65 Emory L. J. 831 (2014).

For article, “Division of Labor: The Modernization of the Supreme Court of Georgia and Concomitant Workload Reduction Measures in the Court of Appeals,” see 30 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 925 (2014).

For article, “Researching Georgia Law,” see 34 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 741 (2015).

For article on the 2016 amendment of this Code section, see 33 Georgia St. U. L. Rev. 205 (2016).

For article, “Annual Survey of Georgia Law: June 1, 2015 — May 31, 2016: Special Contribution: Open Chambers Revisited: Demystifying the Inner Workings and Culture of the Georgia Court of Appeals,” see 68 Mercer L. Rev. 1 (2016).