The Karnataka High Court has ordered action against a civil court judge for citing non-existent judgments from the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court in a ruling last year. Justice R. Devdas emphasized the need for accuracy and reliability in legal citations, describing the judge’s conduct as “disturbing.” He further directed that the matter be investigated and that a copy of the order be submitted to Chief Justice NV Anjaria for necessary action.
On March 24, Justice Devdas allowed a civil revision petition by Sammaan Capital, a non-banking financial firm, which had challenged a decision made by the IX Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge of Bengaluru. The judge had referenced three judgments—two purportedly from the Supreme Court and one from the Delhi High Court—none of which were real. The plaintiff’s senior counsel, Prabhuling Navadgi, confirmed that these decisions were never cited during the hearing and had no records in legal databases.
The case arose after real estate developer Mantri Developers moved the trial court to contest a loan default notice issued by Sammaan Capital in 2018. The trial court judge used the fictitious judgments to assert jurisdiction over the matter. Navadgi speculated that the incorrect citations could have been generated by artificial intelligence or chatbots like ChatGPT, which sometimes produce fabricated information.
This incident has raised concerns about the accuracy of AI-generated legal research and the potential consequences of relying on automated systems in legal proceedings.
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