Welshman Ncube Apologises To Supreme Court For Citing Non-Existent Cases
CCC interim leader and veteran legal practitioner Professor Welshman Ncube has publicly apologised to the Supreme Court after filing legal submissions containing non-existent and irrelevant case citations, which were generated through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
The blunder occurred in the matter Pulserate Investments (Pvt) Ltd v Andrew Zuze and Others [SC202/25], where Ncube was representing the appellant. The court submissions, prepared under his direction, listed twelve cases that were either fake or had no relevance to the legal arguments at hand.
“There is no excuse”
In a formal letter dated 3 July and addressed to the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Ncube said he took “full responsibility” for the citation of “defective and non-existent cases.”
“I wish to express my profound regret and apology to the Court for the citation of defective and non-existent cases in the heads of argument I prepared and caused to be filed,” wrote Ncube.
He further explained that the false citations were the result of work done by a researcher from his chambers who had relied on Artificial Intelligence tools to compile supporting case law. The material was never independently verified before submission.
“There is no excuse that can justify such an error,” Ncube said, acknowledging that he had failed to carry out due diligence before submitting the arguments to the apex court.
Apology extended to opposing counsel
The misstep was discovered and raised by opposing legal counsel, prompting Ncube’s apology. He extended his remorse not only to the court but also to the lawyers on the other side of the matter.
“I also wish to apologise to the legal practitioners representing the respondents in the matter for the inconvenience caused,” he stated.
The matter has attracted widespread attention on social media and within Zimbabwe’s legal fraternity, with legal observers warning of the dangers of unverified AI-generated legal content.
Legal circles take note
The NewsHawks, highlighted that the blunder was traced to researchers working at Ncube’s Bulawayo-based law firm, Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers.
Commenting on the matter, price and tech watchdog ZimPriceCheck warned:
“While AI is a helpful tool, it often hallucinates and misrepresents facts, especially concerning legal matters. This phenomenon, known as ‘potemkin understanding,’ creates the illusion that AI comprehends what it’s discussing, when it’s merely stringing words together based on statistical patterns.”
They added:
“This kind of court embarrassment has occurred in other countries as well.”
The Supreme Court has not yet issued a public response regarding whether sanctions or further action will follow.
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The post CCC Leader Welshman Ncube Apologises To Supreme Court For Citing Non-Existent Cases After Using Ai appeared first on iHarare News.
