Tasmania’s Justice Department will review past decisions by the state’s Parole Board to determine whether artificial intelligence was used to inform them and whether it influenced their outcomes. The department announced the review after concerns emerged about material relied on in the case of convicted murderer Susan Neill-Fraser.
Neill-Fraser was released on parole in 2022 after serving 13 years in prison for the 2009 murder of her partner, Bob Chappell. One condition of her parole prevented her from speaking to the media about her alleged innocence or claims that she had been wrongfully convicted.
That condition was removed earlier this week after Justice Stephen Estcourt ruled that it denied Neill-Fraser procedural fairness, was legally unreasonable and created uncertainty. The judge also found that the board had relied on a document citing case law that was “fictitious” and likely resulted from AI hallucinations.
The Justice Department confirmed the review in a statement provided to ABC News. “The Department will undertake a review to determine the extent to which Artificial Intelligence (AI) may have been used to inform past Tasmanian Parole Board decisions,” a spokesperson said. The department said it could not comment further while the review was under way.
Attorney-General Guy Barnett previously said he would write to the Parole Board seeking an explanation about its professional standards. Opposition parties called for past cases to be examined, saying the issue needed to be assessed beyond Neill-Fraser’s matter.
The Parole Board declined to answer questions about its broader use of AI, saying it did not comment on individual matters. Barrister Greg Barns SC, from the Prisoner’s Legal Service, said anyone involved in producing the false case law should resign or be dismissed. The government has previously described the board as independent and said it would not comment on employment matters involving individuals.