Tasmania court voids parole gag order after AI hallucinations found in board's brief
A Supreme Court invalidated a media ban on a convicted murderer after discovering the parole board's legal argument cited fabricated case law generated by AI.
What to know
- A Tasmanian judge voided a parole condition barring a convicted murderer from discussing her case with media after discovering the parole board's legal argument relied on fabricated case law generated by AI.
- The parole board's secretary had used AI to draft the justification document, which cited non-existent cases—errors the board conceded and corrected in August before the court ruling.
- The decision raises questions about the use of AI in government decision-making and the professional standards of administrative bodies, prompting the state's attorney-general to order an inquiry.
“parole board secretary Ben Hancock used artificial intelligence to prepare a rationale justifying the parole condition, citing case law that was 'fictitious' and likely 'AI hallucinations'.”
Patrick Coleridge, Neill-Fraser's lawyer · ABC News ↗
Susan Neill-Fraser Convicted murderer, parole condition challengerBen Hancock Parole Board of Tasmania secretaryJustice Stephen Estcourt Supreme Court of Tasmania judgeGuy Barnett Tasmania Attorney-GeneralSarah Schwartz Legal director, Human Rights Law Centre
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments
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Attorney-General orders inquiry into parole board professional standards
Tasmania's Attorney-General Guy Barnett said he would write to the chair of the parole board seeking an explanation about its professional standards and assurances that the AI hallucination error would not recur.
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No, the point they were making was that because of the theft and profiteering, no one would bother making anything any more. That's not going to happen.
2 more of the top 3 · 3 posts in this stretch
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Probably a lot at their desks I'd imagine. I toured that old prison and the gallows felt so creepy. It was hard to imagine it wasn't some colonial thing
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You don't seem to get what I'm saying but I don't have the energy to keep going with this. Have a good one.
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Supreme Court declares parole gag order invalid
Justice Stephen Estcourt ruled the media ban invalid, finding it denied Neill-Fraser procedural fairness, was legally unreasonable, and created uncertainty. The court heard evidence that parole board secretary Ben Hancock had used AI to prepare the justification document, citing case law that was fictitious and likely AI hallucinations.
“As you will be aware, I have always maintained my innocence, and I am continuing in the quest to clear my name and advocate for the broader issue of wrongful convictions in Australia.”
— Susan Neill-Fraser -
first by ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 13d ago · also ABC Australia
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'AI hallucinations' in parole board submission scuttles media ban on convicted murderer Sue Neill-Fraser - ABC News https://www. abc.net.au/news/2026-09-15/sue -neill-fraser-media-ban-parole-board-ai-hallucinations/106302950?utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bluesky_news.abc.net.au
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background
Neill-Fraser's legal team exposes fabricated case law in parole board brief — Neill-Fraser's lawyers discovered that the case law cited in the parole board's document justifying the media ban did not exist and had been generated by AI. The parole board subsequently met and withdrew the condition, refusing to explain why.
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More restrictive parole condition replaces original ban — The parole board replaced the original condition with a new one that the Human Rights Law Centre characterized as more restrictive.
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Parole Board imposes media gag on Neill-Fraser — The Parole Board of Tasmania added a condition preventing convicted murderer Susan Neill-Fraser from speaking to media outlets to claim her alleged innocence or wrongful conviction.