Summary
The Perjury Act 1911 creates offences of perjury and related false statements. Perjury is committed when a person lawfully sworn as a witness or interpreter wilfully makes a statement material to the proceeding which they know to be false.
Key Points
- Perjury — wilfully making a false statement on oath in judicial proceedings (s.1)
- Maximum 7 years' imprisonment
- False statements in non-judicial proceedings (s.2) — statutory declarations, affidavits
- False statements to procure marriage or civil partnership (s.3)
- Corroboration required — conviction cannot be based solely on testimony of one witness