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 Tennessee, perjury is considered a serious criminal offense. It is defined as intentionally making a false statement, under oath, on a material matter during an official proceeding, knowing the statement to be false. This can include both verbal and written statements. Perjury is classified under Tennessee law as a Class D felony, which can result in significant penalties including imprisonment and fines. Subornation of perjury, which involves persuading or inducing another person to commit perjury, is also a criminal offense in Tennessee and is treated with similar severity as perjury itself. The specific statutes governing perjury and subornation of perjury in Tennessee can be found in the Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.). At the federal level, perjury is governed by 18 U.S.C. §1621, and like in Tennessee, it is a felony offense that carries severe penalties for individuals who knowingly make false statements under oath in federal proceedings.