---
title: "Use the South Australian courts Gen AI guidelines in a criminal matter"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/criminal-law/use-the-south-australian-courts-gen-ai-guidelines-in-a-criminal-matter"
type: "task"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A20-B14-3"
practice_area: "Criminal Law"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["SA"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-10"
---

# Use the South Australian courts Gen AI guidelines in a criminal matter

> Draft a chronology or submission outline for a criminal step in a court the guidelines cover, for the lawyer to check.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/criminal-law/use-the-south-australian-courts-gen-ai-guidelines-in-a-criminal-matter  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-10

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Criminal Law](https://ailawframework.com/practice/criminal-law.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | Draft a chronology or submission outline for a criminal step in a court the guidelines cover, for the lawyer to check. |
| What the lawyer must review | From 1 January 2026 the guidelines cover steps under the Joint Criminal Rules in the Supreme Court, District Court, Magistrates Court, Youth Court, ERD Court and Court of Disputed Returns. Clause 8 says mere use of Gen AI is unlikely, by itself, to breach the overarching obligations. The lawyer checks accuracy, keeps restricted material out of a system unless satisfied of the confidentiality risk, and can explain the use if a judicial officer asks. A filing need not say that Gen AI was used. |
| Written for / versions | South Australia |

## Checking plan

**Source-by-source verification**

Trace relied-on content to independent sources and check for relevant material the output has missed.

- What the AI does: Draft a chronology or submission outline for a criminal step in a court the guidelines cover, for the lawyer to check.
- What the lawyer does: From 1 January 2026 the guidelines cover steps under the Joint Criminal Rules in the Supreme Court, District Court, Magistrates Court, Youth Court, ERD Court and Court of Disputed Returns. Clause 8 says mere use of Gen AI is unlikely, by itself, to breach the overarching obligations. The lawyer checks accuracy, keeps restricted material out of a system unless satisfied of the confidentiality risk, and can explain the use if a judicial officer asks. A filing need not say that Gen AI was used.
- Who reviews: Lawyer competent in the matter and the forum
- Basis: Planning guidance checked against the linked public sources on 10 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.
- Why: The traffic light follows the consequence of an error and how much of the output the lawyer must check before it is used.
- Written for: SA

## Checks the lawyer makes

1. Open the cited source and confirm it is the current instrument for this forum and this date.
2. From 1 January 2026 the guidelines cover steps under the Joint Criminal Rules in the Supreme Court, District Court, Magistrates Court, Youth Court, ERD Court and Court of Disputed Returns. Clause 8 says mere use of Gen AI is unlikely, by itself, to breach the overarching obligations. The lawyer checks accuracy, keeps restricted material out of a system unless satisfied of the confidentiality risk, and can explain the use if a judicial officer asks. A filing need not say that Gen AI was used.
3. Compare the output with the source and the instructions, including material the output left out.
4. The responsible lawyer approves the exact output for its intended use, or sends it back.

## Notes

- Suggested working checks from the linked public sources. Read the source and confirm it applies to this forum and this date. The checks do not approve software or record that the work is done.

## Practical guide

Jurisdiction: South Australia

**Deliverable**: Use the South Australian courts Gen AI guidelines in a criminal matter

**Inputs**

- SA courts Gen AI guidelines
- The matter instructions and the documents the output will rely on.

**Example**: Stop before the result is filed, sent or relied on. From 1 January 2026 the guidelines cover steps under the Joint Criminal Rules in the Supreme Court, District Court, Magistrates Court, Youth Court, ERD Court and Court of Disputed Returns. Clause 8 says mere use of Gen AI is unlikely, by itself, to breach the overarching obligations. The lawyer checks accuracy, keeps restricted material out of a system unless satisfied of the confidentiality risk, and can explain the use if a judicial officer asks. A filing need not say that Gen AI was used.

**Stop and escalate when**

- The cited source is not the instrument that applies to this forum or this date.
- The output states a fact, date, citation, figure or commitment that is not in the instructions or the source.
- The responsible lawyer has not approved the exact output for its intended use.

Checked 2026-10-10.

## Sources

- [SA courts Gen AI guidelines](https://www.courts.sa.gov.au/2025/12/24/guidelines-concerning-the-use-of-generative-artificial-intelligence-in-litigation-in-south-australian-courts/) (checked 2026-10-10)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*