If no special officer is authorized to be the plaintiff in a penal action, the state, the Governor, the Attorney General, or a prosecuting attorney may be the plaintiff.
(Orig. Code 1863, § 3178; Code 1868, § 3189; Code 1873, § 3254; Code 1882, § 3254; Civil Code 1895, § 4933; Civil Code 1910, § 5510; Code 1933, § 3-103.)
Cross references.- For corresponding provision relating to criminal procedure, § 17-1-2.
JUDICIAL DECISIONS
When informer may prosecute action.
- Qui tam action cannot be brought and prosecuted in name of informer unless a right thus to sue is distinctly given by statute. O'Kelly v. Athens Mfg. Co., 36 Ga. 51 (1867).
Informer has no vested right to forfeiture.
- Informer who commences a qui tam action under a penal statute does not acquire thereby a vested right to the forfeiture. Robison v. Beall, 26 Ga. 17 (1858); Hargroves v. Chambers, 30 Ga. 580 (1860).
Cited in Mack v. Westbrook, 148 Ga. 690, 98 S.E. 339 (1919); Malone v. Clark, 109 Ga. App. 134, 135 S.E.2d 517 (1964).
RESEARCH REFERENCES
C.J.S.
- 1A C.J.S., Actions, §§ 1, 74 et seq., 83. 7A C.J.S., Attorney General, § 65 et seq.