The QFC Court addressed issues arising from the use of artificial intelligence in litigation, including the improper citation of unverified and fictitious legal authorities generated by AI tools. The case – the first of its kind in the MENA region – involved a lawyer citing fictitious cases in an application for an extension of time: Jonathan David Sheppard v Jillion LLC [2025] QIC (E) 3. When questioned by the Registry, after different explanations, the lawyer admitted that the cases had been generated by Google AI and not verified. The matter was referred to the President for potential sanctions for contempt of court. In a judgment delivered in November 2025, the Court emphasised the professional and ethical obligations of legal representatives to verify all authorities relied upon before the Court and highlighted the risks associated with uncritical reliance on generative AI. The President found that the lawyer had committed a contempt of court in seeking deliberately to mislead the Court, but imposed no addition sanction.
Against this background, the Court indicated that a dedicated Practice Direction, together with accompanying Practice Guidance, was in preparation to provide clarity on the responsible use of AI, including matters of accuracy, accountability, disclosure, confidentiality, and ethical conduct. These documents were published in January 2026.
