The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in legal practice has just crossed a red line in Canadian courts. Toronto lawyer Mary Hyun-Sook Lee, also known as Jisuh Lee, now finds herself at the center of an unprecedented judicial saga involving technological “hallucinations” and allegations of contempt of court.
Fictitious Citations Before the Superior Court
The matter originated in the estate dispute Ko v. Li before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Me Lee submitted a factum containing several case law references that turned out to be entirely nonexistent. These false citations are the result of what experts refer to as AI “hallucinations”: the tool generates text that appears to be legally accurate but is, in fact, entirely fabricated.
From Technical Error to Criminal Contempt
It is not the mere use of AI that is being criticized, but rather the failure to verify the information and, above all, the lawyer’s subsequent response.
Lack of diligence: Justice Fred Myers noted that the lawyer failed in her basic duty to validate her sources before submitting them to the court.
Allegation of dishonesty: The situation escalated when questions arose regarding Me Lee’s candor. She reportedly initially attempted to attribute responsibility for the documents to a law student before later acknowledging the use of AI. This apparent attempt to mislead the court transformed what might have been a professional error into a potential charge of criminal contempt.
A Warning to the Profession
This case, which continues to proceed before the Law Society Tribunal of Ontario, marks a significant turning point. It highlights the serious ethical risks associated with the automation of legal tasks.
The Ontario judiciary has used this matter to emphasize that regardless of the tool employed — whether ChatGPT, Grok, or any other platform — the lawyer remains solely responsible for the accuracy of statements made before the court. The duties of competence and integrity toward the tribunal cannot be delegated to an algorithm.
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