(a) Any person aggrieved or adversely affected by any final action of the commission may obtain judicial review of such action as provided in this Code section.

(b) An action for judicial review may be commenced in any court of competent jurisdiction within 30 days after the commission’s action becomes effective.

(c) Upon a finding that irreparable injury would otherwise result, the commission, upon application therefor, shall postpone the effective date of its action pending judicial review, or the reviewing court, upon application therefor and upon such terms and upon such security, if any, as the court shall find necessary, shall issue appropriate process to postpone the effective date of the commission’s action or to preserve the rights of the parties pending conclusion of the review proceedings.

(d) The record on review, unless otherwise stipulated by the parties, shall include the original or certified copies of all pleadings, applications, evidence, exhibits, and other papers presented to or considered by the commission and the decision, findings, and action of the commission. As to alleged procedural irregularities, evidence may be taken independently by the court.

(e) If the court finds no error, it shall affirm the commission’s action. If it finds that such action was:

(1) Arbitrary or capricious;

(2) A denial of a statutory right;

(3) Contrary to constitutional right, power, privilege, or immunity;

(4) In excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority, purposes, or limitation;

(5) Not in accord with the procedures or procedural limitations of this part or otherwise required by law;

(6) An abuse or clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion, unsupported by substantial evidence when the record is considered as a whole; or

(7) Otherwise contrary to law, then the court shall hold unlawful and set aside the commission’s action and afford such relief as may be appropriate.

(f) The decision of the trial court shall be subject to appellate review in the same manner and with the same effect as in appeals from a final judgment or decree in any other civil action.

HISTORY: Code 1981, § 20-3-250.16, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1166, § 3.