As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform legal practice, we are becoming used to regular complaints from the judiciary of England and Wales about the inappropriate use of AI before the courts. Barely a week goes by without another judgment admonishing a lawyer or litigant-in-person. Most of these cases have involved individuals using AI tools without much oversight or suitable safeguards.
On 22 May 2026, however, a judgment was published which sent a shiver down the spines of many law firm leaders: Cork and another v Smith [2026] EWHC 1199 (Ch). This time, the guilty party was not an individual rogue actor, but a large multinational law firm with the resources to invest in AI tools with appropriate safeguards and which is known to have recently invested in training around AI.
In case you missed the judgment, here is a short summary. A newly qualified solicitor (identified only as Lawyer A, or ‘LA’) used an internal
