Smith v. State Board of Medical Examiners

1. Although, where a statute in permissive terms provides for the performance of some act which justice or the public good requires, its terms will be construed as having an imperative significance, and the performance of the act permissively provided for is made mandatory (Birdsong v. Brooks, 7 Ga. 88; Levy v. Millman, 7 Ga. 167; Weems v. Farrell, 33 Ga. 413; Vason v. Augusta, 38 Ga. 542, 545; Georgia, Fla. & Ala. Ry. Co. v. Sasser, 130 Ga. 394, 396 (60 S. E. 997) ; Whitley v. State, 134 Ga. 758, 772 (68 S. E. 716) ), yet where a statute, in permissive terms, as by the use of the word “may,”…