HL Deb 17 June 1998 vol 590 cc143-4WA
Lord Rawlinson of Ewell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

On how many occasions in the past two years have (a) a party and (b) a witness in actions for defamation been prosecuted for perjury or obstructing the course of justice or similar offences arising from the giving of evidence or in a sworn statement; and [HL2181]

On how many occasions in the past few years have:

  1. (a) a person convicted of an offence; and
  2. (b) a witness to an alibi which by their verdict the jury have rejected been prosecuted for an offence of perjury or obstructing the course of justice or similar offence arising from giving evidence or in a sworn statement. [HL2182]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The three separate court databases for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do not identify cases to the detail required. However, limited information on the number of cases for offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice is given in the tables.

Table A: Number of defendants prosecuted for perjury and perverting the course of justice offences, England and Wales, 1995–1996
Offence description 1995 1996
Perjury and false statements (also false declarations and representations made punishable by any statute) 232 247
Attempting to pervert the course of justice (attempting to pervert the course of public justice—fabrication of false evidence, cause person to be wrongly convicted, interference with witness) 2,886 2,924

Table B: Persons proceeded against for perjury and subornation, or for general attempts to defeat/pervert the ends/course of justice, Scotland, 1995–1996
Offence description 1995 1996
Perjury and subornation
False representation 9 15
Perjury 5 8
Subornation of perjury 0 2
Total 14 25
General attempts to defeat/pervert the ends/course of justice
Attempts to defeat the ends of justice 142 193
Attempts to pervert the course of justice 1,145 1,315
Defeat the ends of justice 23 10
Pervert the course of justice 114 18
Public mischief 29 36
Total 1,453 1,572

Table C: Specific perjury offence prosecutions in Northern Ireland, 1995–1997
Offence description 1995 1996 1997
Perjury by a witness 2 3 0
Perverting the course of justice 13 11 14