India's Supreme Court Declares AI-Cited Fake Judgments 'Misconduct'

The Vijayawada Incident

In August 2025, a junior civil judge in Vijayawada, India issued a ruling in a property dispute that cited four Supreme Court judgments — none of which actually existed. The citations, generated by an AI tool, were used to dismiss the defendant's objections to a court-appointed commissioner's report.

When confronted by the Supreme Court, the judge explained it was her first time using an AI tool and she had genuinely believed the citations were real, with no intent to misrepresent or mislead the court.

Supreme Court Response

On February 27, 2026, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe took suo motu cognizance of the Andhra Pradesh order. The bench declared that judges who cite AI-generated fake case laws commit 'misconduct' warranting 'legal consequences' — not merely a reasoning error that could be overlooked.

The court designated the matter as one of 'institutional concern' and stated that fake AI-generated judgments have 'a direct bearing on the integrity of the adjudicatory process.'

Broader Implications

This case highlights the real-world dangers of uncritical AI adoption in legal settings. As lawyers and judges worldwide increasingly use AI for legal research, India's ruling underscores the urgent need for verification mechanisms when relying on AI-generated legal citations. The story scored 281 on Hacker News, drawing strong reactions from both the legal and technology communities.

Similar incidents have occurred in other countries — most notably in the United States, where attorneys have been sanctioned for submitting AI-hallucinated citations. India's Supreme Court is now drawing a firm line: relying on AI fabrications in judicial decisions is not an accident, it is misconduct.