---
title: "AI knowledge assistant governance and source-citation policy (permission-aware search, information barriers, citations)"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/knowledge-management/ai-knowledge-assistant-citation-policy"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "km-ai-knowledge-assistant-citation-policy"
area_id: "KM"
kind: "policy"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-17"
---

# AI knowledge assistant governance and source-citation policy (permission-aware search, information barriers, citations)

> A policy for a firm AI knowledge assistant: approved sources, permission-aware retrieval that respects matter security and information barriers, mandatory source citations, "not found" behaviour, user verification…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/knowledge-management/ai-knowledge-assistant-citation-policy  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-17

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

A policy for a firm AI knowledge assistant: approved sources, permission-aware retrieval that respects matter security and information barriers, mandatory source citations, "not found" behaviour, user verification duties, index hygiene and retention, audits and incidents.

## Key facts

- Kind: Policy. A policy or procedure for a firm or client.
- Practice area: [Knowledge Management](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/knowledge-management.md)
- Jurisdictions: Australia, New South Wales
- AI level: Yellow. AI can help in set ways. A lawyer checks specific points before use.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-17
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-17 against the 5 authorities it cites, for Australia and New South Wales.

## When to use it

Use when a firm deploys an AI assistant or search tool over its precedent bank, know-how or document management system. It sets the rules for the tool and its users; it does not authorise the tool, which must first be approved under the AI tool approval process.

## How AI may be used

The assistant may answer "how do we do X" questions from approved sources with citations. Lawyers verify every answer against the cited source and primary law before relying on it, and information barriers are enforced by the system, not by the model.

**AI may:**

- Answer questions from approved precedents and know-how, citing the source id, version and paragraph.
- Return the closest firm precedents and practice notes, and say clearly when nothing on point is found.
- Summarise new judgments and practice notes for know-how updates, for a lawyer to review before circulation.

**AI must not:**

- Must not retrieve documents from matters the user cannot access, or from matters behind an information barrier that excludes the user.
- Must not present an answer without sources, or present the firm's know-how as a statement of current law without a review date.
- Must not be used as the source of authorities cited to a court; citations must be checked against official sources.

**The lawyer checks:**

- Barrier and permission tests pass before launch and after every connector or index change.
- Destroyed or retired documents have been removed from indexes within the set time.
- Users have been trained on verification duties and court practice note requirements.

## Authorities

- [Federal Court of Australia, Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Practice Note (GPN-AI) (16 April 2026) 4.3 to 4.5 and 4.13 to 4.15](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/law-and-practice/practice-documents/practice-notes/gpn-ai)
- [Supreme Court of NSW Practice Note SC Gen 23 – Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) paras 9A, 16 and 17](https://supremecourt.nsw.gov.au/documents/Practice-and-Procedure/Practice-Notes/general/current/PN_SC_Gen_23.pdf)
- [Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules 2015 rr 9, 10.2, 19.1 and 37](https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2015-0244)
- [Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) Sch 1 APP 11 (security; destruction or de-identification)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A03712/latest/text)
- [Law Society of NSW, Legal Practice Board of WA and Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner, Statement on the use of artificial intelligence in Australian legal practice (6 December 2024)](https://lsbc.vic.gov.au/news-updates/news/statement-use-artificial-intelligence-australian-legal-practice)

## Official form

[Official form](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/law-and-practice/practice-documents/practice-notes/gpn-ai)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/knowledge-management/ai-knowledge-assistant-citation-policy and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

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