§ 63-17-99. Appeals from decisions of commission; finality of decisions.

The following procedure shall govern in taking and perfecting appeals:

1. Any person who is a party to any hearing before the commission and who is aggrieved by any decision of the commission with respect to any hearing before it shall have the right of appeal to the chancery court of the county of such person's residence or principal place of business within this state; if such person is a nonresident of the state he shall have the right of appeal to the chancery court of the residence of the opposing party, and if the opposing party is also a nonresident, the appeal shall be to the Chancery Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi. All such appeals shall be taken and perfected within sixty days from the date of the decision of the commission which is the subject of the appeal. The chancery court to which such appeal is taken may affirm such decision or reverse and remand the same to the commission for further proceedings as justice may require or dismiss such decision. All such appeals shall be taken and perfected, heard and determined, either in term time or in vacation, on the record, including a transcript of pleadings and evidence, both oral and documentary, heard and filed before the commission. In perfecting any such appeal, the provisions of law respecting notice to the reporter and allowance of bills of exceptions, now or hereafter in force, respecting appeals from the chancery court to the supreme court shall be applicable. The reporter shall transcribe his notes, taken stenographically or by machine, and file the record with the commission within thirty days after approval of the appeal bond, unless, on application of the reporter, or of the appellant, an additional fifteen days shall have been allowed by the commission to the reporter within which to transcribe his notes and file the transcript of the record with the commission.
2. Upon the filing with the commission of a petition of appeal to the proper chancery court, it shall be the duty of the commission, as promptly as possible, and in any event within sixty days after approval of the appeal bond, to file with the clerk of said Chancery Court to which the appeal is taken, a copy of the petition for appeal and of the decision appealed from, and the original and one copy of the transcript of the record of the proceedings and evidence before the commission. After the filing of said petition, the appeal shall be perfected by the filing of a bond in the penal sum of five hundred dollars ($500.00) with two sureties or with a surety company qualified to do business in Mississippi as surety, conditioned to pay the costs of such appeal, said bond to be approved by any member of the commission or by its executive secretary or by the clerk of the chancery court to which such appeal is taken.
3. No decision of the commission made as a result of a hearing shall become final with respect to any party affected and aggrieved by such decision until such party shall have exhausted or shall have had an opportunity to exhaust all of his remedies. However, any such decision may be made final if the commission finds that failure to do so would be detrimental to the public interest or public welfare; however, the finality of any such decision shall not prevent any party or parties affected and aggrieved thereby to appeal the same in accordance with the appellate procedure set forth in this section.

SOURCES: Codes, 1942, § 8071.7-07; Laws, 1970, ch. 478, § 7; reenacted without change, 1983, ch. 344, § 25; reenacted without change, 1991, ch. 305, § 25, eff from and after July 1, 1991.