A barrister and her solicitors have been condemned by a judge for their “appalling professional misbehaviour” after they cited non-existent cases.

Two lawyers evaded contempt of court charges after fabricating AI-generated cases, prompting concerns about the need for stricter regulations in the legal field regarding AI use. The Haringey Law Centre and attorney Sunnelah Hussain faced scrutiny after creating five fictitious cases for a judicial review. Despite initial denials, Sarah Forey admitted to using AI-generated summaries but could not prove their validity, highlighting previous issues with her documentation.

The King’s Bench Division noted potential training shortcomings for both attorneys, opting for leniency due to inexperience. The court also extended mercy to Abid Hussain from Primus Solicitors, who unknowingly relied on fictitious cases. The judges emphasised that lawyers must recognise the limitations of AI tools like ChatGPT, which cannot perform reliable legal research. They recommended treating AI outputs with caution and appropriate supervision.

Source: RollonFriday

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