---
title: O.C.G.A. § 9-12-16. Validity of judgment when court does not have jurisdiction.
collection: code
id: 9-12-16
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 9-12-16 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/9-12-16
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/9-12-16.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/9-12-16/text
source_url: https://archive.org/download/gov.ga.ocga.2024/T09%20Ch12-16%20%28V7A%29%202015.pdf#page=44
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.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CIVIL PRACTICE / VERDICT AND JUDGMENT / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 9-12-16. Validity of judgment when court does not have jurisdiction.

The judgment of a court having no jurisdiction of the person or the subject matter or which is void for any other cause is a mere nullity and may be so held in any court when it becomes material to the interest of the parties to consider it.

## History

Orig. Code 1863, § 3513; Code 1868, § 3536; Code 1873, § 3594; Code 1882, § 3594; Civil Code 1895, § 5369; Civil Code 1910, § 5964; Code 1933, § 110-709.

## Cross References

For corresponding provision relating to criminal procedure, see § 17-9-4.

## Law Reviews

For comment on Musgrove v. Musgrove, 213 Ga. 610, 100 S.E.2d 577 (1957), upholding the validity of a divorce decree, see 20 Ga. B.J. 548 (1958).