PERJURY IS INTENTIONALLY lying under oath at an official court proceeding. The false statement could occur in testimony in court, depositions, diverse[Page 604] administrative hearings as well as in written legal documents such as affidavits, deeds, license applications, and tax returns. In societies as diverse as ancient Greece and Rome, the Ashanti in Africa, Native American tribes, early modern England and contemporary Europe and North America, perjury has been considered one of the most despicable of crimes since it involves a brash moral wrongdoing. Usually oaths are sworn in relation to God; breaking such an oath is seen as an offense against God. Moreover, it is regarded as an act of disobedience against the government not unlike tax evasion, contempt, and bribery. It was brought ...