Overview

• Rishi Nathwani KC accepted full responsibility for filing defence submissions that included fabricated legislative quotes and non-existent Supreme Court of Victoria citations.
• Court associates uncovered the missing authorities and the AI-induced mistakes prompted a 24-hour postponement of the minor’s murder hearing.
• The teenage defendant was subsequently found not guilty of murder by reason of mental impairment.
• Defence counsel and prosecutor Daniel Porceddu both overlooked verification of the AI-generated citations, highlighting systemic research gaps.
• Judges in Australia, the U.K. and U.S. have increasingly imposed fines, warnings and regulatory referrals in response to AI “hallucinations” in legal filings.