Minda Girma Law Office ምንዳ ግርማ ህግ ቢሮ 0910126619

Citation of non-existent cases, including potentially AI-generated or fabricated authorities, can have serious disciplinary consequences for advocates. The High Court of the United Republic of Tanzania has set an important precedent for similar cases in the future. In Registered Trustees of the Assemblies of God Gospel Church International (AGGCI) v Registrar of Societies & Eta’l , Miscellaneous Civil Application No. 9407 of 2026, the Principal Judge, Hon. M. M. Siyani, delivered a strongly reasoned ruling concerning an advocate who cited and quoted two non-existent Court of Appeal decisions. The Court found that the advocate “did not act with the necessary skill, prudence and diligence expected of an ordinary and reasonable lawyer.” The Court further held that the absence of an intention to deceive did not absolve him from professional culpability. Consequently, the advocate was found guilty of professional misconduct and suspended from legal practice for six months. He was also ordered to issue a written public apology to the Court and the public, in both English and Swahili, and publish it in a widely circulating daily newspaper. The decision sends a powerful message to the legal profession: authorities cited before a court must be genuine, accurate and independently verified. The responsibility remains with counsel, regardless of whether the error arose from inadvertence, negligence, or the use of artificial intelligence. For further details, you can access and read the full ruling herein above.