HC Cautions Judicial Officers Against Unverified AI Use in Court Orders
Srinagar, June 7 (KNC): The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has expressed serious concern over the unverified use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated legal research in judicial proceedings, emphasizing that judicial officers must independently verify all legal references before incorporating them into court orders.
Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal observed that certain judicial precedents cited in a trial court order were either incorrectly referenced or could not be traced despite thorough verification. The Court noted that such inaccuracies raise significant questions regarding the reliability and quality of judicial reasoning.
In its observations, the High Court stated that while AI-powered tools and digital research platforms can serve as useful aids in legal research, they cannot replace the responsibility of judicial scrutiny and independent assessment.
The Court held that any citation, precedent, factual assertion, legal proposition, or extract generated through AI platforms must be cross-checked and verified from authentic and authoritative sources before being relied upon in judicial orders.
Justice Nargal further directed that every judicial order must contain complete and accurate citations of precedents relied upon. The Court also stressed that wherever a judgment forms the basis of a finding, the relevant portions should, as far as practicable, be reproduced verbatim instead of being paraphrased.
Calling for greater diligence and accountability in judicial writing, the High Court ordered that a copy of the judgment be circulated among all judicial officers across the Union Territory for information and strict compliance.
Underscoring the responsibility of judges in the era of emerging technologies, the Court observed, “Judicial officers must remain mindful that the ultimate responsibility for the correctness, accuracy and authenticity of the contents of a judicial order rests solely upon the authoring Judge.”
The ruling is being viewed as a significant reminder on the cautious and responsible use of AI tools within the judicial system while safeguarding the accuracy and credibility of court proceedings.(KNC)
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