Verify Before You File: UK High Court on AI Hallucinations, Unverified Submissions and Solicitors’ Duty to the Court
The UK High Court ruled that a junior solicitor's reliance on AI without verification led to misleading court submissions, breaching professional duties.Summary
The UK High Court addressed a block transfer application concerning misleading statements made by Pinsent Masons LLP in court letters dated March and April 2026. The Court determined that a junior associate likely used AI for legal research, resulting in a fabricated quotation from the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016. The associate failed to verify the AI-generated content or inform supervisors, leading to a prima facie case of breaching the duty not to mislead the Court. The Court noted that while the error stemmed from a lack of care rather than dishonesty, it highlighted the unreliability of AI tools. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) was directed to investigate potential breaches of professional codes. The judgment emphasized that legal professionals cannot delegate research or reasoning to AI and must exercise professional judgment, regardless of the tool used.
(Source：Scconline)
