---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-19. Rights of parties to proceedings.
collection: code
id: 15-11-19
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-19 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-19
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-19.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-19/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t15-ch1-11a-(v13)-2020-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=d8a8826c_0#page=699
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-18.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-20.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: COURTS / JUVENILE CODE / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-11-19. Rights of parties to proceedings.

(a) A party has the right to be present, to be heard, to present evidence material to the proceedings, to cross-examine witnesses, to examine pertinent court files and records, and to appeal the orders of the court; provided, however, that the court shall retain the discretion to exclude a child from any part or parts of any proceeding under Article 3 of this chapter if the court determines that it is not in such child’s best interests to be present. An attorney for an excluded child shall not be excluded from the proceedings.

(b) A person afforded rights under this chapter shall be advised of such rights at that person’s first appearance before the court.

## History

Code 1981, § 15-11-19, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.

## Law Reviews

For article discussing due process in juvenile court procedures in California and Georgia, in light of In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S. Ct. 1428, 18 L. Ed. 2d 527 (1967), see 8 Ga. St. B. J. 9 (1971). For article, ‘‘Termination of Parental Rights: Recent Judicial and Legislative Trends,’’ see 30 Emory L. J. 1065 (1981). For survey article on appellate practice and procedure, see 59 Mercer L. Rev. 21 (2007).

For comment, ‘‘School Bullies — They Aren’t Just Students: Examining School Interrogations and the Miranda Warning,’’ see 59 Mercer L. Rev. 731 (2008).