Court Opinion

ID: 9623087
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:27:34.939889+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:23.421457
License: Public Domain

Pannell, Judge,
dissenting. On appeal to the superior court, the judge of the superior court requested from the State Board *218of Workmen’s Compensation additional information pertaining to the record referring specifically to the letter to the board from Mr. Wall dated January 8, 1968, and a letter to the board from Mr. Drew with reference to the same subject matter, and inquiring as to whether or not the board ever made any ruling on the request to present additional evidence. The board replied to this order of the judge -of the superior court requesting this information by stating that the “instruments” (the letters) had already been forwarded and that “there was never a ruling made by this board on the two letters in question and the only ruling made by the full board in this case was the award dated February 9, 1968.” This letter was signed: “State Board of Workmen’s Compensation (S) James C. Pullin. James C. Pullin. Secretary-Treasurer.”
In my opinion, this letter from the board settles this question and this court cannot by construction reach a contrary “presumption.” In my opinion, the judge of the superior court was correct in so holding and in remanding the case to the State Board of Workmen’s Compensation for consideration of the application to present additional evidence.
The State Board of Workmen’s Compensation is not a court but an administrative body, and “[i]n the administration of the Act, the technical niceties of pleading and procedure as applied to courts of law and equity need not be strictly followed. Maryland Cas. Co. v. Gill, 46 Ga. App. 746, 748 (169 SE 235); Jones v. American Mut. Liab. Ins. Co., 48 Ga. App. 351, 352 (172 SE 600).” Continental Ins. Co. v. McDaniel, 118 Ga. App. 344, 345 (163 SE2d 923). Since the Civil Practice Act, applied on the motion for rehearing, applies only to courts of record in this State, it cannot be applied to the State Board of. Workmen’s Compensation on a mandatory basis.