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 South Carolina, perjury is considered a serious criminal offense. It is defined as willfully giving false, misleading, or incomplete testimony under oath in any court of record or any other judicial proceeding. The law also covers false statements made in written documents that are legally sworn to be truthful. Perjury is codified under South Carolina Code of Laws Section 16-9-10. The offense is typically treated as a felony, and upon conviction, individuals may face penalties including fines and imprisonment. The exact punishment can vary depending on the circumstances of the case and the discretion of the court. Subornation of perjury, which involves persuading or inducing another person to commit perjury, is also a criminal offense under South Carolina law, and it carries similar penalties to perjury itself. At the federal level, perjury is governed by 18 U.S.C. §1621, and it is also treated as a felony, with potential penalties including fines and federal imprisonment. Both state and federal laws aim to uphold the integrity of the judicial system by deterring and punishing false statements.