South Korean lawmakers on Friday proposed bills to fine litigants and lawyers up to 5 million won ($3,270) for submitting court documents that contain fabricated case citations, responding to mounting errors from artificial intelligence-generated legal filings that slow trials and drain judicial resources.
The proposed penalties
Rep. Lee Sung-yoon of the Democratic Party of Korea introduced revisions to the Civil Procedure Act and the Criminal Procedure Act. The amendments would penalize plaintiffs, representatives, or lawyers who file briefs citing nonexistent precedents or fake case numbers.
Lee said the bills target a gap in current law. While submitting forged evidence can be prosecuted under existing criminal provisions, no legal basis exists to specifically punish fabricated citations in court documents. That gap can cause delays and undermine the right to timely judgments.
AI errors in the courtroom
Concern has grown as lawyers and self-represented litigants increasingly use artificial intelligence to draft filings. Korean media report that fake citations have appeared not only in lawsuits filed without attorneys but also in documents prepared by practicing lawyers.
In April, the Seoul High Court pointed out that several precedents cited in an appeal brief for a lease deposit dispute did not exist. The incident highlights why rigorous verification is essential when using AI for Legal drafting tools. The Supreme Court is also acting. In March, a task force under the National Court Administration recommended that parties who cause delays with fake citations bear the resulting litigation costs, and that lawyers who submit such documents be referred to the Korean Bar Association for disciplinary action.
Why this matters for legal professionals
The proposed legislation puts legal practitioners on notice: relying on AI-generated citations without checking them can lead to fines and professional discipline. In South Korea, the Supreme Court's push to shift costs and refer lawyers for disciplinary action signals a broader shift toward accountability. For lawyers worldwide, the trend is clear - courts will not tolerate fabricated authorities, and the responsibility to verify every citation stays with the attorney who signs the filing.
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