Fabricated citation
Also: fabricated citations, fake case, hallucinated case, phantom authority, non-existent case
A case or quotation the AI invented. It looks real and is not.
“In Harper v. Lindqvist (2019 ONCA 412), the Court held that notice must be in writing.”
No such case exists. The name, the year and the citation all look right.“Clause 14.2 of the lease (page 6) says notice must be in writing.”
You can open page 6 and look.The model does not know which of these it has done. It produces the most plausible-sounding text, and a fake case is very plausible-sounding text. The only defence is to open the source.
The fuller definition
A fabricated citation is a case, statute, or quotation that a model invents or misattributes. Filing such citations has led to costs orders and show-cause proceedings in Canadian and other courts.
Go deeper
Delivery may be possible in the first week of April, subject to inspection.
Delivery was promised on 1 April.
The output changes certainty, invents a specific day, and loses a condition. A link to the real source makes checking possible; it does not make that summary accurate.
A concrete example
A factum cites a decision with a plausible style of cause and neutral citation that does not exist.
The distinction that matters
A citation that resolves to a real document can still be wrong about what it says. Verify both existence and content in the primary source.
Related terms
Hallucination
When the model states something that sounds right but is made up, including cases, quotes, and facts that do not exist.
Documents & retrievalCitation
A pointer to the source that supports a statement, so someone can check it.
Law & professional practiceCertification of authorities
A statement a lawyer signs in a court filing saying they checked that every case cited is real. Ontario requires it in factums.
Where it is taught
What courts expect when you use AISource and further reading
Law Society of Ontario · Using technologyThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.