Perjury is the criminal offense of making a false statement under oath—verbally or in writing—that the witness knows to be false and that is material to the proceeding in which the statement is made. And suborning perjury or subornation of perjury is the criminal offense of procuring the perjury of another person.

Perjury is a criminal offense under both state and federal laws and may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony offense, depending on the state or federal jurisdiction, and whether there are any aggravating factors that increase the seriousness of the crime. Perjury laws are located in state statutes—often in the penal or criminal code—and the federal perjury law is located in the United States Code at 18 U.S.C. §1621.

In Connecticut, perjury is considered a serious criminal offense. Under Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-156, a person is guilty of perjury if, with the intent to mislead a public servant in the performance of their duty, they make a statement under oath which they do not believe to be true. Perjury in Connecticut is classified as a Class D felony, which can result in a term of imprisonment and/or a fine. Subornation of perjury, which involves persuading or inducing another person to commit perjury, is also a criminal offense and is treated with similar severity as perjury itself. The federal law on perjury is found at 18 U.S.C. § 1621, and it similarly criminalizes the act of willfully making false statements under oath in federal proceedings. The federal statute can apply to perjury committed in federal courts, during federal investigations, or in other federal proceedings. Penalties for federal perjury can include fines and imprisonment, and the severity of the punishment can depend on the specific circumstances and the impact of the false statement on the proceedings.