Barrister who cited 'fictitious' cases had used AI, judge finds

An immigration barrister was found by a judge to be using Al to do his work for a tribunal hearing after citing cases that were “entirely fictitious” or “wholly irrelevant”.

- Jamie Grierson

Chowdhury Rahman was discovered using ChatGPT-like software to prepare his legal research, a tribunal heard.

Rahman was found not only to have used Al to prepare his work, but “failed thereafter to undertake any proper checks on the accuracy”.

The upper tribunal judge Mark Blundell said Rahman had even tried to hide the fact he had used Al and “wasted” the tribunal's time.

Blundell said he was considering reporting Rahman to the Bar Standards Board. The Guardian has contacted Rahman’s firm for comment.

The matter came to light in the case of two Honduran sisters who claimed asylum on the basis that they were being targeted by a criminal gang in their home country. Rahman represented the sisters, aged 29 and 35. The case escalated to the upper tribunal.

Blundell rejected Rahman’s arguments, adding that “nothing said by Mr Rahman orally or in writing establishes an error of law on the part of the judge and the appeal must be dismissed”.