Checking AI generated legal research before filing

An AI-generated case name, quotation, or legal explanation must be checked against a reliable source before it is used in a proceeding. Tribunals Ontario's AI practice direction makes participants responsible for the accuracy of submissions prepared with AI assistance.

Open the actual decision, confirm the citation, and read the relevant passage in context. Check the court level, jurisdiction, procedural setting, and whether later law affects the point. A convincing summary can still contain an invented authority or a rule from another province. Verify statutes using the current consolidated law and commencement information. Protect confidential information when using any technology. A helpful research note should separate what the authority decided from the argument you want the decision-maker to accept.

For each proposed authority, locate the original decision and confirm that the parties, court, date, and neutral citation match. Read the relevant reasoning and outcome rather than relying on a search excerpt or generated quotation. A case may mention a proposition while rejecting it, or decide a different procedural question from the one in your file. Statutory research also requires checking the applicable version and whether an amendment was in force at the relevant time, not merely whether a bill received publicity.

Keep a verification note linking the proposition to the source and explaining how it relates to your facts. Separate the court's holding from an inference or argument you want to make. Do not submit fabricated quotations, unsupported citations, or confidential client information copied into an unsuitable tool. Review the current rules on AI use and any required disclosure in the proceeding. Technology can assist with organizing a file, but responsibility for accurate evidence, authorities, and submissions remains with the person using and filing the material.

Sources

• Tribunals Ontario practice direction on artificial intelligence

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General Ontario legal information, not legal advice for your matter, and reading it does not create a retainer. Sources checked 15 October 2026: check the current law, forms and dates before you act.

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This article is general information for people in Ontario, not legal advice. Rules, forms and deadlines change, and every situation is different. Check the current rule or speak to a licensed legal professional before you act.