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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

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A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
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Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
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A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
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A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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