ES | Audiencia Provincial de Alicante, Sección 8 (EU Trade Mark Court)
Docket: Sentencia 1558/2025Procedimiento 559/2025Rollo 35/2025 • appellate
2025-10-08
SAP A 1558/2025 — audiencia provincial de alicante (sección 8) — fabricated authorities; court mentions AI “hallucinations” and refers counsel to the bar
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I. Executive Summary
The Provincial Court found the appeal brief relied on multiple judicial decisions that “do not exist” and included incorrect quotes attributed to the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court.
The court stated that the episode could reflect “hallucinations” produced by artificial intelligence or an intentional attempt to mislead.
It ordered that a copy of the judgment be sent to the Alicante Bar Association for disciplinary purposes under the relevant procedural rule.
II. Conduct Analysis
Counsel submitted an appeal containing non-existent case citations and incorrect quotations; the court explicitly raised generative-AI hallucinations as a possible explanation and treated the conduct as sufficiently serious to trigger a disciplinary referral.
III. Legal Foundations
Article 247.2 of the Spanish Civil Procedure Act (LEC) (as cited for bar referral)
IV. Key Facts
1) The court identified citations to judgments that it stated do not exist and quotations attributed to higher courts that were not correct as presented.
2) The court framed the cause as either AI hallucination or intentional deception.3) The court ordered a referral to the bar association.
V. Consequences & Sanction
1) Disciplinary referral ordered (copy to the Alicante Bar Association).
2) The court indicated it would not tolerate fabricated authorities in filings, regardless of whether caused by AI or intent.