AI in Legal Drafting: A Closer Look at its Pitfalls in Courtrooms

The Supreme Court raised concerns about lawyers using AI tools for drafting petitions, citing instances of non-existent judgments like 'Mercy vs Mankind'. Justices highlighted the challenge of verifying fake quotes attributed to real verdicts, amid worries about the decline in original legal drafting skills.

The Supreme Court has expressed deep concerns regarding the increasing trend of lawyers employing AI tools to draft legal petitions, which sometimes contain fabricated judgments such as 'Mercy vs Mankind'.

A bench, including Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices B V Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi, criticized the reliance on AI for such purposes during a hearing related to guidelines on political speeches.

Justice Nagarathna noted the challenges of verifying authenticity when fake quotes are linked to actual verdicts. Justice Bagchi lamented the decreasing art of original legal drafting, citing an over-reliance on prior judgments.

(With inputs from agencies.)