In the trial of all civil cases, the judge upon request of the jury shall furnish the jury with written instructions as to the form of their verdict.
§ 9-12-2.Instructions on form of verdict
Chapter 12. Verdict and Judgment · Article 1. General Provisions · Last amended 1933 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceO.C.G.A. § 9-12-2 requires the trial judge in any civil case to give the jury written instructions on the form of its verdict whenever the jury asks for them.
Full Text of § 9-12-2
Plain-English Summary
Deciding a case and writing it down are different skills, and a jury that has reached a verdict does not always know how to put it on paper. This section gives jurors a way to ask for help with that second part. Once they request it, the trial judge must furnish written instructions describing the form their verdict should take.
The duty runs only to form, not to the substance of what the jury decides. Georgia keeps those two questions separate throughout this article: this section supplies the mechanics of writing a proper verdict, while other sections govern what that verdict must cover and how it will be read once it is filed.
The obligation applies across the trial of all civil cases and triggers on the jury's own request rather than the judge's initiative. Once jurors ask, the statute gives the judge no discretion to withhold written guidance on the verdict's form.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must the judge give the jury written instructions on the verdict's form?
Upon the jury's request during the trial of a civil case.
Does this section apply outside civil trials?
No. By its terms it applies to the trial of all civil cases, not criminal proceedings.
Must the instructions be written, or can the judge respond orally?
The statute calls for written instructions once the jury requests them.
Does this section cover what the verdict must say on the merits?
No. It covers only the form of the verdict; the substance the verdict must cover is addressed elsewhere in this chapter.
Can the judge decline a jury's request for form instructions?
No. The statute uses “shall,” making the judge's duty mandatory once the jury asks.
Amendment History
Orig. Code 1863, § 3480; Code 1868, § 3502; Code 1873, § 3560; Ga. L. 1880-81, p. 115, § 1; Code 1882, § 3560; Civil Code 1895, § 5330; Civil Code 1910, § 5925; Code 1933, § 110-103.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, published by the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Georgia Code Revision Commission / LexisNexis. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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