PERJURY, in law, the crime of swearing falsely, where a lawful oath is administered by one in authority, in a matter relating to the issue or cause in question, whether it be a person's own wilful act, or done by the subornation of others.
At the common law, perjury, and the subornation of
it, are punishable by fine, imprisonment, pillory, transportation, &c. See LAW, Tit. xxxiii. 24.