(b) The court may assess reasonable and necessary attorney's fees and expenses of litigation in any civil action in any court of record if, upon the motion of any party or the court itself, it finds that an attorney or party brought or defended an action, or any part thereof, that lacked substantial justification or that the action, or any part thereof, was interposed for delay or harassment, or if it finds that an attorney or party unnecessarily expanded the proceeding by other improper conduct, including, but not limited to, abuses of discovery procedures available under Chapter 11 of this title, the "Georgia Civil Practice Act." As used in this Code section, "lacked substantial justification" means substantially frivolous, substantially groundless, or substantially vexatious.

"lacked substantial justification" means substantially frivolous, substantially groundless, or substantially vexatious. For purposes of this Code section, judicial officers shall include justices and judges of the appellate courts of Georgia and judges of the superior, state, probate [...]

(e) In addition to and in conjunction with the actions described in subsection (d) of this Code section, a professional licensing board may make a finding adverse to the licensee or applicant but withhold imposition of judgment and penalty; or it may impose the judgment and penalty but suspend enforcement thereof and place the licensee on probation, which probation may be vacated upon noncompliance with such reasonable terms as the board may impose. (f) Initial judicial review of a final decision of a professional licensing board shall be had solely in the superior court of the county of domicile of the board. The court may assess reasonable and necessary attorney's fees and expenses of litigation in any such review if, upon the motion of any party or the court itself, it finds that an attorney or any party aggrieved by an action of the board appealed such action of the board or any part thereof when such appeal lacked substantial justification or when such appeal or any part thereof was interposed for delay or harassment or if it finds that an attorney or aggrieved party unnecessarily expanded the proceeding by other improper conduct. As used in this subsection, "lacked substantial justification" means substantially frivolous, substantially groundless, or substantially vexatious.