Section 34-8-223. Procedure for judicial review of final decisions of board of review

   (a) Any decision of the board of review, in the absence of a reconsideration as provided in subsection (d) of Code Section 34-8-192, shall become final 15 days after the date of notification or mailing. Judicial review shall be permitted only after any party claiming to be aggrieved thereby has exhausted his or her administrative remedies as provided by this chapter. The Commissioner shall be deemed to be a party to any judicial action involving any such decision and shall be represented in any such judicial action by the Attorney General.

(b) Within 15 days after the decision of the board of review has become final, any party aggrieved thereby may secure judicial review by filing a petition against the Commissioner in the superior court of the county where the employee was last employed. In the event the individual was last employed in another state, such appeal shall be filed in Fulton County, Georgia. Any other party to the proceeding before the board of review shall be made a respondent. The petition, which need not be verified but which shall state specifically the grounds upon which a review is sought, shall be served upon the Commissioner or upon such person as the Commissioner may designate, and such service shall be deemed completed service on all parties, but there shall be left with the party so served as many copies of the petition as there are respondents. The Commissioner shall mail one such copy to each such respondent. Within 30 days after the service of the petition, the Commissioner shall certify and file with the superior court all documents and papers and a transcript of all testimony taken in the matter, together with the board of review's findings of fact and decision therein. The Commissioner shall not be required to furnish any person with a copy of the aforementioned documents, papers, or transcripts or the original of these items prior to the Commissioner's filing these items with the court. The Commissioner may also, in his or her discretion, certify to such court questions of law involved in any decision. As a guide for future interpretation of the law, when the Commissioner is aggrieved by any decision of the board of review or deems such decision contrary to the law and no other party enters an appeal therefrom, the Commissioner may, within 20 days after such decision has become final, appeal and certify to the superior court questions of law therein involved. The court shall consider and determine the same and enter a decree accordingly, which shall be subject to further appeal by the Commissioner. In any judicial proceeding under this Code section, the findings of the board of review as to the facts, if supported by evidence and in the absence of fraud, shall be conclusive, and the jurisdiction of the court shall be confined to questions of law. Such actions and the questions so certified shall be heard in a summary manner and shall be given precedence over all other civil cases except cases to which the state is a material party and cases arising under Chapter 9 of this title. An appeal may be taken from the decision of the superior court to the Court of Appeals in the same manner as is provided in civil cases but not inconsistent with this chapter. No bond shall be required for entering an appeal.

Code 1981, § 34-8-223, enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 139, § 1.