When did the Federal Court AI practice note take effect?
The Chief Justice’s notice of 16 April 2026 says the Court published GPN-AI on that date. Confirm the commencement wording on the practice note itself before you rely on a filing deadline.
Federal Court of Australia
AI practice note: Federal Court of Australia
GPN-AI is the Federal Court’s practice note on generative artificial intelligence. The 16 April 2026 notice says it explains what the technology is, accepts that it can help with cost and access, and requires use to stay consistent with existing legal and professional obligations.
The same notice says particular caution applies to pleadings, submissions, evidence, and confidential or protected information, and that the note explains when disclosure may be required. The Court’s own earlier reading on this site adds that users should be able to say what tool was used and how, if the Court asks, and that one model should not be used to bless another model’s citations.
GPN-AI does not govern the Federal Circuit and Family Court, the Administrative Review Tribunal, or a state court. Name the court on the file before you treat this note as the rule.
16 April 2026
The Chief Justice’s notice to the profession of 16 April 2026 says the Court published GPN-AI on that date. An earlier notice of 29 April 2025 sat alongside a public statement of 28 March 2025 while the note was still being settled. Read GPN-AI itself for the operative text.
Generative Artificial Intelligence Practice Note (GPN-AI)
Disclosure checklist
Work through this against the instrument, not instead of it. The checks do not record that the filing is done.
- Confirm the proceeding is in the Federal Court and open the current GPN-AI, not only this summary.
- Be ready to say what tool was used and how the output was checked, if the Court asks.
- Verify every citation, quote and legislative reference in AustLII or the Federal Register of Legislation. Do not use one generative tool to check another.
- Take particular care with pleadings, submissions, chronologies and lists of documents.
- Keep affidavits in the witness’s own recollection and expert reports in the expert’s own opinion, and follow the note’s disclosure rule where a tool summarised or analysed the material relied on, created media, or could affect admissibility.
- Keep suppressed, privileged and subpoenaed material out of a public tool.
Sources
Every Australian court page
Each court has its own note. Open the one named on the file.
- AI practice note: Federal Court of Australia
- FCFCOA AI practice direction
- Fair Work Commission AI guidance note
- Administrative Review Tribunal generative AI practice direction
- SC Gen 23: generative AI in the NSW Supreme Court
- NSW Local Court generative AI practice note
- NSW District Court generative AI note
- NSW Land and Environment Court generative AI note
- NCAT generative AI directions
- Personal Injury Commission generative AI note
- SC Gen 25: Victoria AI practice note
- County Court of Victoria AI guidelines
- VCAT and generative AI
- Queensland courts AI practice direction
- Queensland District Court AI accuracy direction
- QCAT AI accuracy direction
- Queensland Planning and Environment Court and Land Court AI directions
- WA Supreme Court generative AI guidelines
- South Australia courts generative AI guidelines
- SAET generative AI guidelines
- Tasmania court AI practice notes
- ACT court AI practice notes
- Northern Territory court AI practice notes
- High Court of Australia and generative AI
See suggested levels for this court · All court AI notes · Jurisdiction tasks · Law firm AI policy guide · Practice areas
Questions
What do I have to disclose?
The 16 April 2026 notice says GPN-AI explains when disclosure of generative AI use may be required, including where particular caution applies to pleadings, submissions, evidence and protected information. This page is not a substitute for that list.
Does GPN-AI apply in the family court or a state Supreme Court?
No. The Federal Circuit and Family Court has its own practice direction. State Supreme Courts have their own notes. A state practising certificate does not import that state’s note into the Federal Court, or the reverse.