This week in legal AI — New Zealand

5 updates on the record, 2024-01-01 to 2026-10-07.

• Analysis · 2026-10-05
  Is AI training mandatory for lawyers? What the EU literacy duty and bar rules require
  No reviewed country sets AI training hours for lawyers. The EU AI Act's Article 4 literacy duty binds firms and was rewritten on 27 July 2026.
• Analysis · 2026-10-05
  Must lawyers tell clients, or ask their consent, before using AI?
  Italy legislates a duty to inform, the Netherlands asks for consent, Belgium and Germany say there is no duty: 76 reviewed country answers on telling clients.
• Rule revised · NZ Law Society · 2026-02-24
  Generative AI guidance for lawyers — February 2026 update
  Updated guidance on verification, privacy and privilege, client communication and fee review; first published in 2024. Guidance from the New Zealand Law Society, updated 24 February 2026, on how the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act rules apply to generative AI. Lawyers must verify all output, protect privacy and privilege when entering information, disclose AI use to clients where appropriate, and review whether fees remain reasonable when AI reduces the time spent.
  Primary source: NZ Law Society — February 2026 update
• Incident · New Zealand · 2026-02-11
  Jones v Family Court at Whangārei [2026] NZSC 1
  New Zealand's Supreme Court dismissed a self-represented litigant's leave application after his submissions cited hallucinated authorities from an AI application — real case names with wrong citations and misattributed cases. The Court awarded NZ$500 costs and warned that reliance on unverified AI outputs may, in serious cases, amount to obstruction of justice or contempt of court.
  Primary source: Jones v Family Court at Whangārei [2026] NZSC 1 (SC167/2025) — Courts of New Zealand (official judgment PDF)
• Rule · NZ Law Society · 2024-01-01
  Generative AI guidance for lawyers — Original (2024)
  Guidance from the New Zealand Law Society, updated 24 February 2026, on how the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act rules apply to generative AI. Lawyers must verify all output, protect privacy and privilege when entering information, disclose AI use to clients where appropriate, and review whether fees remain reasonable when AI reduces the time spent.
  Primary source: NZ Law Society — Original (2024)

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