---
title: O.C.G.A. § 22-1-3. Power of General Assembly to determine when right of eminent domain may be exercised; duty of courts as to laws authorizing the condemnation of private property for private uses.
collection: code
id: 22-1-3
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 22-1-3 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/22-1-3
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/22-1-3.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/22-1-3/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t22-t23-(v19)-2020-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=a1dfc71e_0#page=26
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/22-1.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/22-1-2.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/22-1-4.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: EMINENT DOMAIN / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 22-1-3. Power of General Assembly to determine when right of eminent domain may be exercised; duty of courts as to laws authorizing the condemnation of private property for private uses.

It is the province of the General Assembly to determine when the right of eminent domain may be exercised. If, however, under pretext of such necessity the General Assembly should pass a law authorizing the taking of property for private use rather than for public use, the courts should declare the law inoperative.

## History

Orig. Code 1863, § 2202; Code 1868, § 2197; Code 1873, § 2223; Code 1882, § 2223; Civil Code 1895, § 3053; Civil Code 1910, § 3625; Code 1933, § 36-102.