ES | Tribunal Constitucional, Sala Primera
Docket: nota informativa 90/2024 • constitutional
2024-09-09
nota informativa 90/2024 — constitutional court: warning to counsel for false quotations; “possible use of artificial intelligence” invoked
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I. Executive Summary
The Constitutional Court reported that an amparo brief contained 19 quotations attributed to Constitutional Court decisions that did not exist, creating a misleading appearance of supporting case-law.
The lawyer argued the irregularities were due to mistakes and referenced “possible use of artificial intelligence” as a contributing factor.
The Court issued a formal warning to the lawyer and ordered that the matter be forwarded to the Barcelona Bar Association.
II. Conduct Analysis
Counsel filed an amparo submission containing fabricated quotations and non-existent Constitutional Court decisions; when confronted, counsel invoked possible AI use as an explanation rather than having verified the sources before filing.
III. Legal Foundations
Applicable procedural rules and judicial ethics codes.
IV. Key Facts
1) The brief presented 19 quotations attributed to Constitutional Court decisions that were not real.
2) The issue was treated as serious because it could mislead the court’s legal assessment.
3) Counsel referenced possible AI use among the reasons for the errors.
V. Consequences & Sanction
1) Formal warning issued to the lawyer.
2) Forwarding/notification ordered to the Barcelona Bar Association for any appropriate action.