If you are being investigated or prosecuted for giving false evidence on oath, our solicitors for perjury can help. Woolfe & Co Solicitors are specialist criminal defence lawyers with over 20 years of experience in the Perjury Act 1911, and we represent clients accused of perjury in the Crown Court, the civil courts and tribunals across England and Wales. We analyse the precise statement said to be false, we test whether the prosecution can prove you knew it was untrue, and we defend your position from the first interview. Available 24/7 for urgent advice.
Perjury is not a single careless remark. It is a serious allegation that requires the prosecution to prove you gave evidence you knew to be untrue, in proceedings where you were lawfully sworn. That distinction matters enormously, and it is where experienced solicitors for perjury earn their value. Here are the essentials in plain English.
If you have been asked to attend an interview about evidence you gave in court, do not attend alone. Speak to our team first on 01582 380938. Our criminal lawyers will explain exactly where you stand and what happens next.
Perjury is defined by section 1 of the Perjury Act 1911. It applies when a person lawfully sworn as a witness or interpreter in judicial proceedings wilfully makes a statement that is material to the proceedings, knowing it to be false or not believing it to be true. The offence is narrow in one sense, because it only applies to sworn evidence, and wide in another, because it covers every court in England and Wales, civil and criminal alike.
What this means in practice is that a dispute about the facts is not the same as perjury. Witnesses frequently give evidence that a judge or jury rejects, and that does not make them criminals. The prosecution must go further and prove a deliberate lie. Solicitors for perjury build their defence around that threshold, and our team has examined thousands of pages of transcripts and witness statements to test whether it is really met.
For a perjury charge to succeed, the prosecution must prove every one of the following. If any single element fails, the case fails with it.
| Element | What it means |
|---|---|
| Lawfully sworn | You must have been sworn on oath or affirmation. An unsworn statement cannot found a perjury charge. |
| Judicial proceedings | The evidence must have been given in a court, tribunal or other judicial body that has power to administer an oath. |
| A false statement | The statement must actually be untrue. The prosecution must prove the truth of the opposite assertion. |
| Knowledge of falsity | You must have known the statement was false, or not believed it to be true. An honest mistake is a complete defence. |
| Materiality | The lie must have been capable of affecting the outcome of the proceedings. Trivial or irrelevant answers do not qualify. |
Section 1 is the best known provision, but the Act contains several related offences that our solicitors and lawyers deal with regularly.
Section 1 also covers false statements in affidavits, witness statements sworn before a court, and evidence given before tribunals.
Section 5 makes it an offence to make a false statutory declaration without oath, a provision frequently used in civil and immigration matters.
Section 3 covers false statements made to obtain a marriage certificate, including declarations of age, marital status or consent.
Sections 3 and 4 cover false statements in relation to the registration of births, deaths and marriage matters.
Perjury sits within a family of offences that interfere with the justice process. If you are unsure exactly what you are being investigated for, our guide to court process offences solicitors sets out the differences clearly.
The maximum penalty for perjury under section 1 of the Perjury Act 1911 is seven years imprisonment, or a fine, or both. Sentencing is governed by the Sentencing Council guideline, and the outcome depends heavily on the gravity of the false statement, the harm it caused and the position of the person who made it. Our solicitors for perjury have presented mitigation in these cases at every level of the Crown Court.
| Category | Typical features | Likely sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser culpability | A single false statement, limited planning, no serious harm caused and an early admission when challenged | Community order or a suspended sentence in many cases |
| Greater culpability | Deliberate and repeated lies, significant planning, or a lie told to protect yourself after committing another offence | Custody in the range of about 1 to 3 years |
| Higher culpability | A sustained false account that caused a wrongful conviction, serious harm to another person, or undermined a serious trial | Custody of 4 years and upwards, potentially approaching the 7 year maximum |
| Aggravating features | Perjury committed as a police officer, solicitor, barrister or other person in a position of trust, or while on bail | A significant increase within the relevant category |
Cases are heard at the Crown Court, and a breach of bail or a failure to surrender to court charge frequently accompanies a perjury allegation. Dealing with every allegation at the earliest stage is almost always the right strategy.
The strongest defence is almost always about knowledge. The prosecution must prove you knew your evidence was false, or did not believe it to be true. Witnesses misremember, misunderstand and genuinely get things wrong every day. That is not a crime.
Where the statement itself cannot realistically be disputed, we focus on materiality, on whether the evidence was truly capable of affecting the outcome, and on detailed mitigation. We are always honest with clients about which route is realistic.
If you believed what you said was true, you have committed no offence, however mistaken you turned out to be. This is the most common and most powerful defence.
If the evidence could not have affected the outcome, the perjury charge must fail. This is a legal argument that is often decisive at an early stage.
Precision matters. A statement that is literally accurate, even if misleading in tone, is not perjury. We analyse the exact words used in the transcript.
Save in rare cases, perjury cannot be proved on the word of a single witness. We test whether there is genuinely independent evidence supporting the allegation.
Errors in the swearing of the oath, the administration of the proceedings or the charge itself can undermine the prosecution case entirely.
Where a prosecution is brought years after the event, or used as pressure in a dispute, an application to stay the proceedings may be appropriate.
Do not try to fix the problem yourself. Changing your account, contacting witnesses or deleting messages can be charged as separate offences and treated as aggravating features. Read our guide on phone passcode requests and take advice before doing anything.
Our approach is calm, analytical and focused on protecting you. Here is exactly what working with our criminal defence team looks like, from the first call to the final hearing.
We review the statement said to be false, the transcript, the court in which it was made and the stage of the investigation. There is no charge for this first conversation, and it is completely confidential.
We attend the interview, advise on what to say and prepare a written statement where that is the stronger course. Police station advice is free, and police station representation is available 24 hours a day.
We examine whether the statement was material, whether it was capable of being understood as true and whether the prosecution can prove you knew it was false. This is where these cases are won.
We prepare submissions, argue legal points and present detailed mitigation if the case reaches sentence. We instruct leading counsel where the seriousness of the case demands it.
Perjury is not automatically covered by Legal Aid in the Crown Court, because it does not fall within the scope of most Crown Court funding, so representation is often privately funded. Police station advice remains free, and we offer fixed fees for many stages of a case. Our page on fees and Legal Aid explains how we keep costs clear and predictable, and our free Legal Aid criminal defence solicitors page sets out the wider funding picture.
Speak to a Solicitor TodayThese are the questions our criminal defence solicitors are asked most often about perjury. The answers are set out in full below.
Perjury is a statutory offence under section 1 of the Perjury Act 1911. It is committed when a person lawfully sworn as a witness makes a statement that they know to be false or do not believe to be true, in judicial proceedings, where the statement is material to the proceedings. Solicitors for perjury deal with cases in both criminal and civil courts.
The maximum sentence for perjury under section 1 of the Perjury Act 1911 is seven years imprisonment, or a fine, or both. Sentences follow the Sentencing Council guideline and turn on the gravity of the false statement and the harm caused to the justice system.
No. Perjury is a statutory offence that applies only to statements made while lawfully sworn in judicial proceedings. Perverting the course of justice is a broader common law offence that covers conduct inside and outside court, including concealing evidence and misleading police.
Yes. Custody is a realistic outcome in serious perjury cases, particularly where the lie was sustained, deliberate and caused serious harm to another person. Less serious cases can result in a suspended sentence or a community order. Early advice and strong mitigation make a real difference.
The prosecution must prove that you were lawfully sworn, that the statement was made in judicial proceedings, that it was false, that you knew it was false or did not believe it to be true, and that it was material to the proceedings. If any one element fails, the charge fails.
Perjury is not automatically covered by Legal Aid in the Crown Court, so representation is often privately funded. Police station advice is free, and our solicitors will confirm the funding position and costs at the outset so there are no surprises. See our fees and Legal Aid page.
Perjury is a criminal offence requiring a false statement made under oath with knowledge of its falsity. Contempt of court is a broader concept covering any conduct that interferes with the administration of justice, including disobeying a court order or disrupting proceedings.
Do not admit anything without legal advice. An admission can be used as evidence against you. A solicitor should be present for any interview and can advise whether a prepared statement, a plea or a defence is the correct course. See our guide on whether you can remain silent when police ask questions.
Most perjury cases take between 6 and 18 months from first interview to sentence. Cases involving transcripts, international witnesses or linked proceedings can take longer, particularly where the trial is heard in the Crown Court. Our Crown Court solicitors manage timetables carefully to avoid unnecessary delay.
Yes. Section 1 of the Perjury Act 1911 applies to judicial proceedings in both criminal and civil courts, including tribunals where evidence is given on oath. It is not limited to criminal trials, which is why we see perjury allegations arising from family, employment and commercial disputes.
No. A person who genuinely believes the evidence they give is true, even if it later proves incorrect, has not committed perjury. The offence requires that you knew the statement was false or did not believe it to be true.
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can usually advise the same day. Call 01582 380938 and speak directly to a criminal defence solicitor.
We are a Luton based criminal defence firm with more than 20 years of experience, and our solicitors appear in courts across England and Wales every week. Perjury is a specialist area that rewards precision with words, and most cases turn on a single phrase in a transcript. You speak to a qualified criminal defence solicitor from the first call, never a call centre.
We build the defence on the exact words used, the context in which they were given and whether they were material. That is where perjury cases are decided.
Interviews and arrests do not wait for office hours. Call at any time and reach a solicitor who can act straight away.
Because perjury is often privately funded, we set out costs clearly at the outset and offer fixed fees for many stages of a case.
We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and hold recognised criminal defence accreditations. Read more about our accreditations and memberships.
"In my years defending perjury allegations, the pattern rarely changes. A witness gives evidence they genuinely believe, a case goes the wrong way, and the losing party treats that as proof of a lie. Our job is to bring the court back to what the law actually requires, which is proof that the witness knew their evidence was untrue."
Senior Criminal Defence Solicitor, Woolfe & Co Solicitors
A perjury allegation rarely stands alone. Our criminal defence solicitors support clients across the whole of the court process, from the police station to the Crown Court.
Breach of bail, perverting the course of justice, witness intimidation, contempt of court and perjury allegations.
Defence for breach of court orders, committal hearings and contempt of court allegations.
Defence for concealing evidence, misleading police, and interfering with court proceedings.
Defence for intimidating or pressuring witnesses and jurors under section 39 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
Defence for breaking bail conditions such as curfews, residence requirements and reporting conditions.
Defence for missing a court date or failing to answer bail under section 6 of the Bail Act 1976.
Jury trial advocacy, sentencing and appeals, since perjury is usually tried at the Crown Court.
Representation at first hearings, sending hearings and bail applications before a case reaches the Crown Court.
How messages are used in court when a witness account is later contradicted by digital evidence.
A full guide to how criminal defence solicitors and barristers build a defence from arrest to appeal.
Request a confidential callback from a criminal defence solicitor about a perjury allegation.
Do not attend an interview or respond to correspondence without advice. Our solicitors for perjury are available 24 hours a day and can advise you on your position right now. Early advice protects your liberty, your reputation and your professional future.
Woolfe & Co Solicitors, criminal defence solicitors in Luton, representing clients across England and Wales. Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.