The petitioners assert that the judgments were neither produced by the plaintiffs nor the defendants during the hearing and that their reliance on such "manufactured" judgments casts serious doubt on the credibility of the trial court's decision
Published Jan 29, 2025 | 8:36 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 29, 2025 | 10:48 PM
Karnataka High Court to hear petition over use of non-existing judgments in trial court order (Wikmedia)
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, 28 January, heard a petition challenging an order passed by a trial court, which the petitioner claims relied on non-existent judgments to reject an application for the return of plaint.
The petition was filed by Sammaan Capital Limited, a non-banking finance company, against the trial court’s order dated 25 November, 2024.
Senior Advocate Prabhuling K Navadgi, representing the petitioner, argued that the trial court’s decision was based on non-existent judgments, including references to Supreme Court rulings that do not exist. “If such non-existent judgments are relied upon, it is a sorry state of affairs. Sometimes AI-generated research gives wrong conclusions,” Navadgi remarked before Justice R Devdas.
The petition questions the trial court’s rejection of an application filed by Mantri Infrastructure Private Limited under Order VII Rule 10 and Section 151 of the Civil Procedure Code, seeking the return of plaint.
The petitioners contend that the trial court’s reliance on fabricated judgments formed the sole basis for rejecting their plea, which involved a commercial dispute and was supposed to be heard in a commercial court.
The alleged non-existing judgments cited by the trial court include:
The petitioners assert that these judgments were neither produced by the plaintiffs nor the defendants during the hearing and that their reliance on such “manufactured” judgments casts serious doubt on the credibility of the trial court’s decision, suggesting potential fraudulent conduct in the order.
The dispute revolves around the non-payment of debt by Mantri Infrastructure, with the defendants accusing the plaintiffs of ignoring their defaults outlined in an acceleration notice. Initially, the plaintiffs filed a commercial suit but later withdrew it without liberty to file again.
The plaintiffs subsequently filed a fresh suit on the original side, seeking reliefs such as injunctions against SARFAESI and NCLT proceedings and a declaration that their debts had been discharged.
The High Court has posted the case for further hearing on 5 February, directing the trial court to refrain from taking any further action on the matter until the next hearing.
The petition also sparked debate among legal professionals about the increasing reliance on AI tools for legal research. Supreme Court lawyer Vamshi Polsani argued, “A lawyer’s analysis, research, and framing of arguments cannot be delegated to software or technology. AI can’t be depended upon.”
Supreme Court advocate Vishwaja Rao echoed this concern, stating, “Dependence on AI without verification is extremely fatal to both law and the client. AI should be used to make our work efficient, not easy.”
Telangana High Court lawyer Huma Fareed remarked, “In my years of practice, I’ve seen courts distinguish precedents, but never quite like this – distinguishing between real and imaginary ones.”
“AI is definitely a great tool, however one has to be careful in quoting something as existing. Many a times, AI might come out with the correct principle but might bungle up with the names or citation. However if the underlined principle is being correctly stated, the wrong mentioning of the name for the citation shall not and should not affect the final result,” says former Telangana High Court judge Challa Kodanda Ram
This case highlights the growing challenges faced by the legal profession in ensuring accuracy and integrity in judicial proceedings, especially in the age of AI-driven research tools.
The Karnataka High Court’s upcoming hearing is expected to bring further clarity on the use of such technology in legal matters.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
