---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-7-81. Liability for abusive litigation.
collection: code
id: 51-7-81
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-7-81 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-7-81
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-7-81.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-7-81/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=715
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/51-7.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-7-80.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-7-82.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: TORTS / FALSE ARREST, FALSE IMPRISONMENT, MALICIOUS PROSECUTION, AND ABUSIVE LITIGATION / ABUSIVE LITIGATION
---

# O.C.G.A. § 51-7-81. Liability for abusive litigation.

Any person who takes an active part in the initiation, continuation, or procurement of civil proceedings against another shall be liable for abusive litigation if such person acts:

(1) With malice; and

(2) Without substantial justification.

## History

Code 1981, § 51-7-81, enacted by Ga. L. 1989, p. 408, § 2.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘Rule 11: Is the Cure Justified by the Disease?,’’ see 28 Ga. St. B. J. 228 (1992). For article, ‘‘Of Frivolous Litigation and Runaway Juries: A View from the Bench,’’ see 41 Ga. L. Rev. 431 (2007).