---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-11-1. Authorization to act as justification; effect of plea.
collection: code
id: 51-11-1
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-11-1 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-11-1
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-11-1.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-11-1/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6b891965_0#page=774
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/51-11.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-10-6.md
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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: TORTS / DEFENSES TO TORT ACTIONS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 51-11-1. Authorization to act as justification; effect of plea.

If the defendant in a tort action was authorized to do the act complained of, he may plead such authorization as justification. The effect of such plea is to admit that the act was done and to entitle the defendant to all the privileges of one holding the affirmative of the issue. Such plea, however, shall not give the defendant the right to open and conclude the argument before the jury unless it is filed before the plaintiff submits any evidence to the jury.

## History

Orig. Code 1863, § 2983; Code 1868, § 2996; Code 1873, § 3051; Code 1882, § 3051; Ga. L. 1888, p. 35, § 1; Civil Code 1895, § 3891; Civil Code 1910, § 4488; Code 1933, § 105-1801.

## Law Reviews

For article, the right to open and conclude the argument in tort cases, see 22 Ga. B. J. 297 (1960).