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CPS lawyer cited fictitious case in challenge over boy’s prosecution
A senior Crown Prosecution Service lawyer cited a fictitious legal case while arguing that an 11-year-old boy should face prosecution over the alleged rape of his younger sister. The High Court described the reference as an error but said it did not affect the outcome of the boy’s challenge; the incident has renewed concerns about AI-generated errors in court proceedings.
The prosecutor, Ravinder Dhillon, said in October that she had meant to refer to a real decision from 15 years earlier. The Guardian understands the false citation came from an AI response during an internet search. Legal expert Brian Flanagan called the use of a nonexistent case to support prosecuting a child a “serious failure”; the boy’s case is due to go to trial in youth court later this week.
In short
- CPS prosecutor cited a nonexistent legal precedent.
- The High Court said the error did not affect the challenge’s outcome.
- The case adds to concerns about AI errors in court.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “‘A serious failure’: CPS prosecutor cites imaginary case to high court after AI search”.