This is general information, not legal advice, and reflects Ontario Land Tribunal practice as of October 1, 2026.
What the Tribunal's practice direction requires
The Ontario Land Tribunal's Practice Direction on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Tribunal Proceedings (last updated January 29, 2026) does not ban generative AI. It requires a party, participant or witness to disclose its use. The first paragraph of each document in which AI was used to create or generate content must read:
“Artificial intelligence (AI) was used to generate content in this document [at paragraphs x to y]. All content generated by AI, and the authenticity of all authorities cited in this document, has been reviewed and verified by [include the name of the individual].”
The direction adds that a declaration alone “will not result in any adverse inference by the Tribunal.”
What triggers it, and what doesn't
- Triggers a declaration. Generative AI used to create content in a document prepared for a proceeding — the Tribunal's own footnote names ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot Chat as examples.
- Does not. AI used “to merely suggest changes or critique content already created by a human who then considered and manually implemented the changes.”
- Effective date. Hearing events starting on or after March 30, 2026.
- Consequences. Inaccurate or misleading AI-generated material “will not be relied on and may be struck from the record”; a missing or false declaration may be unreasonable conduct supporting costs under Rule 23 of the Tribunal's Rules of Practice and Procedure.
How it differs from the other Ontario venues
The Ontario Land Tribunal is separate from Tribunals Ontario and from the Superior Court. Its declaration is a fixed script with a named verifier, unlike the Court of Appeal and Ontario Court of Justice, which have no AI-specific rule of their own. See our tracker of Ontario's AI disclosure rules for the side-by-side, and our guide to the AI disclosure duty in Ontario filings for how the declarations stack up. The Law Society of Ontario's verification and supervision duties apply regardless; see our breakdown of the LSO's generative-AI guidance.