Perjury is the offense of lying in court after taking an oath. Which option correctly defines perjury?

• A. Perjury is the offense of lying in court after taking an oath.
• B. Perjury is failing to show up to court.
• C. Perjury is stealing from prisoners.
• D. Perjury is making false statements in a report to a supervisor.

Answer: (A)

Perjury is knowingly lying under oath in a courtroom or other official proceeding. The oath creates a legal duty to tell the truth, and deliberately giving false information while under that duty violates the law and can carry penalties. This is different from failing to appear in court, which is typically treated as contempt of court rather than perjury. It also isn’t about stealing from prisoners or making false statements in a supervisor’s report—those are separate offenses (theft and false reporting) and do not involve testifying under oath. In practice, perjury can occur in sworn testimony or sworn depositions, where the truthfulness of what is said is legally enforced.