Source: Lawyers Weekly

Lawyers Weekly reports that a Melbourne-based law firm has come under investigation after submitting court documents containing fictitious citations generated by an artificial intelligence tool. The issue came to light when a local magistrate questioned the sources cited in a case, only to discover that several references were entirely fabricated.

The firm has blamed the error on a failure to adequately verify outputs from the AI software, which had been used to draft legal arguments. Legal commentators have emphasized the ethical and professional risks associated with uncritical reliance on generative AI, especially when used without appropriate human oversight.

The Victorian Legal Services Board has launched an inquiry into the incident, raising concerns about the broader implications of AI misuse in legal practice. The case has sparked debate across Australia’s legal community about the need for clear regulatory standards, verification obligations, and education on the responsible use of AI tools by legal professionals.