UK Lawyer Struck Off After Using Fake AI-Generated Case Citations

Summary

Registered foreign lawyer Abhishek Kumar has been struck off after using generative AI to help draft submissions in disciplinary proceedings brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. His written response contained incorrect or misleading case citations: some pointed to unrelated cases, while others did not support the arguments he made. After the SRA flagged the problems, Kumar used AI again to prepare an explanation, which introduced further errors. He told the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal that he had not intended to mislead anyone and that the mistakes reflected incompetence and poor judgment; he also said he lacked the expertise to verify the AI output. The tribunal rejected that explanation, finding that a regulated lawyer remains responsible for the accuracy of professional submissions and must check AI-generated material. It described his culpability for the AI-related misconduct as “very high,” citing his repeated failure to verify what he submitted and the implications for the administration of justice and public confidence in the legal profession. Kumar had separately been convicted in 2024 of knowingly employing someone without the right to work in the UK. The tribunal said either the conviction or the AI-related misconduct alone would have justified striking him off, and removed him from the register of foreign lawyers.