A senior Crown prosecutor has been recorded citing a fictional legal precedent in a high court dispute, court papers show, an error that has intensified concerns about the use of artificial intelligence tools in legal practice.
Ravinder Dhillon, appearing for the Crown Prosecution Service, referred to an entirely made-up case during proceedings about whether a child should be prosecuted for the rape of his younger sister, according to documents lodged in the high court. The citation was discovered as part of the procedural record and has been described in the papers as erroneous.
The papers indicate the mistaken reference followed an AI-based search, a detail that has revived scrutiny of so-called AI "hallucinations" — instances where generative systems produce plausible but false information. Legal practitioners and court observers have already flagged numerous errors linked to AI outputs in recent months, and this incident adds to a catalogue of similar problems reported in court proceedings.
Legal insiders say the episode raises questions about safeguards around the use of automated tools by lawyers and prosecutors, and about the processes for verifying authorities before they are put before judges. While the immediate procedural consequences in this particular high court matter are set out in the filed documents, the case is likely to sharpen debate over how AI should be integrated into legal research and the extent of human oversight required.
The incident is the latest in a wave of reported AI-related mistakes in the justice system and is likely to prompt renewed calls for clearer guidance and stricter validation of AI-generated material used in court. It also risks undermining public confidence in prosecutorial and judicial work if unverified or fabricated references are allowed to enter formal proceedings.