UK solicitor referred to regulator after a filing cites 18 fake cases

A man sued Qatar National Bank in London's High Court for £89.4 million over a financing deal. Witness statements from him and his solicitor cited 45 authorities. Eighteen did not exist, and many real ones did not say what was claimed. One fake ruling was attributed to the very judge hearing the case. The client admitted the research came from publicly available AI tools and other online sources. His solicitor had relied on it without checking. On June 6, 2025, a Divisional Court led by Dame Victoria Sharp said lawyers cannot rely on clients for legal research. It declined contempt proceedings but referred the solicitor to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and warned of severe sanctions.