---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-5-9. Right of action for malicious use of privilege.
collection: code
id: 51-5-9
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-5-9 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-5-9
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-5-9.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-5-9/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=606
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/51-5.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-5-8.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 / LIBEL AND SLANDER
---

# O.C.G.A. § 51-5-9. Right of action for malicious use of privilege.

In every case of privileged communications, if the privilege is used merely as a cloak for venting private malice and not bona fide in promotion of the object for which the privilege is granted, the party defamed shall have a right of action.

## History

Orig. Code 1863, § 2923; Code 1868, § 2930; Code 1873, § 2981; Code 1882, § 2981; Civil Code 1895, § 3841; Civil Code 1910, § 4437; Code 1933, § 105-710.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘Defamation and Invasion of Privacy,’’ see 27 Ga. St. B. J. 18 (1990).