Supreme Court Flags ‘Alarming’ Trend of Lawyers Using AI to Draft Petitions, Cautions Lawyers Over Unverified AI-Generated Petitions
The Supreme Court of India has raised serious concerns over what it described as an “alarming” trend of lawyers using artificial intelligence tools to draft court petitions without properly verifying the content.
The issue came to light after the Court found that certain petitions contained references to judgments that either did not exist or were incorrectly quoted. A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice BV Nagarathna observed that such errors were becoming increasingly common.
During the hearing, CJI Surya Kant stated that the Court had been informed about lawyers relying on AI tools for drafting pleadings. However, these documents were being filed without cross-checking the legal references mentioned in them.
Justice Nagarathna referred to a case where a completely fictitious judgment titled “Mercy vs Mankind” was cited before the Court. On verification, it was found that no such case existed.
The Chief Justice also mentioned another matter heard by Justice Dipankar Datta, where all the precedents cited in a petition were later discovered to be fabricated.
In some instances, lawyers cited genuine Supreme Court judgments but quoted portions that were not part of the actual decision. The Bench expressed concern that such inaccuracies could mislead the Court and waste valuable judicial time.
The observations reflect a broader debate within the judiciary about the growing use of AI in legal practice. While technology can be useful for research, drafting assistance and case management, judges made it clear that the ultimate responsibility lies with the lawyers filing the case.
The Court emphasised that every citation, precedent and quotation must be verified from authorised legal sources before being placed on record. Accuracy and professional diligence remain fundamental duties of members of the Bar, even in an era of advanced technology.
