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30 January 2026 / Dr Charanjit Singh
Issue: 8147 / Categories: Features , Profession , Artificial intelligence , Risk management , Technology , Legal services
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Case law hallucinations: Just an illusion?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
241420
Hallucinated case law is one of the major pitfalls of using technology in legal practice, writes Dr Charanjit Singh
  • Examines the risks of using artificial intelligence in legal practice, and explores how to safeguard and/or mitigate against those risks.
  • Refers to R (on the application of Frederick Ayinde) v Haringey London Borough Council; Al-Haroun v Qatar National Bank QPSC and another company

Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a profound impact on the legal profession. Modern AI systems can naturally and independently perform and outthink their human counterparts, developing ‘intelligence’ (which simulates human intelligence) through experiences and through the processing of deep and complex layers, and representations of data, continually learning from them to provide astounding improvements in mastering complex, technical and time-consuming tasks.

The level of detail that AI can ‘process’ is impressive, identifying people, objects, voices and patterns, and screening for problems. This advent has begun to have an impact on legal practice.

This article examines the risks of using AI in legal practice, including its role in research, drafting, argumentation

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NEWS
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NLJ this week: No such thing as a ‘Welsh seat’
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
NLJ this week: Jury reform risks justice for efficiency’s sake
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
NLJ this week: Crypto fightback offers ‘new frontier for law’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
NLJ this week: Time to revive the duty to report crime?
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
NLJ this week: When are experts truly ‘necessary’?
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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