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26 September 2025
Issue: 8132 / Categories: Legal News , Artificial intelligence , Technology , Profession , Legal services
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NLJ this week: AI boom collides with courtroom reality

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Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising the law, but its misuse could wreck cases and careers, warns Clare Arthurs of Penningtons Manches Cooper in this week's NLJ

Top judges have praised AI’s potential, with Sir Geoffrey Vos hailing its role in digital justice and Lord Justice Birss admitting to using ChatGPT in a ruling. But recent scandals, including the Ayinde case and a pleading riddled with fake citations, show the perils of uncritical reliance.

Courts are now making clear: firm leaders will be held responsible if lawyers let hallucinated case law slip through. New judicial guidance encourages AI for admin and drafting, but dismisses it as unsafe for research.

Arthurs’ message is blunt—AI is here to stay, but lawyers must engage their ‘little grey cells’ before letting machines steer legal argument.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Maryam Syed KC, Church Court Chambers

NLJ Career Profile: Maryam Syed KC, Church Court Chambers

From childhood dreams of the Bar to some of the country's most challenging cases, Maryam Syed KC explains why she has never stopped standing up for others

DAC Beachcroft—Richard Breavington, Rachel Ford & Daniel Guilfoyle

DAC Beachcroft—Richard Breavington, Rachel Ford & Daniel Guilfoyle

DAC Beachcroft significantly expands Cyber team, hiring three Cyber partners

Browne Jacobson—Professor Clive Kay

Browne Jacobson—Professor Clive Kay

Browne Jacobson appoints senior healthcare leader Professor Clive Kay as strategic adviser

NEWS
CEDR has announced the death of its Founder President and first Chief Executive, Dr Karl Mackie CBE
Consumers will receive their Merricks v Mastercard compensation in the first half of next year, class representative and former Financial Ombudsman Walter Merricks has said
A law firm was not entitled to payment for jointly administering an estate as there was no charging clause in the will, the High Court Senior Courts Costs Office has ruled
The so-called ‘Dieselgate’ quantum trial will go ahead against Mercedes, after the High Court rejected an attempt by car owners to delay the proceedings
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) must pay the bulk of the legal costs in the military deafness litigation, the High Court has held
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