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 Hawaii, perjury is defined as intentionally making a false statement under oath in a situation where the law requires truthfulness. This includes both verbal statements and written documents. The relevant state statutes can be found in the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), particularly under HRS §710-1060, which outlines the offense of perjury and its classification as a Class C felony. Subornation of perjury, which involves persuading or inducing another person to commit perjury, is also a criminal offense under Hawaii law. The penalties for perjury and subornation of perjury in Hawaii can include imprisonment, fines, or both. Additionally, under federal law, perjury is governed by 18 U.S.C. §1621, and it is a felony offense that can lead to severe penalties, including imprisonment. Both state and federal laws treat perjury seriously due to its potential to undermine the judicial process.