Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

CRIMES ACT 1914 - SECT 35

             (1)  A person commits an offence if:

                     (a)  the person gives false testimony touching a matter; and

                     (b)  the person does so:

                              (i)  in a judicial proceeding; or

                             (ii)  with the intention of instituting a judicial proceeding; and

                     (c)  the matter is material in the judicial proceeding; and

                     (d)  the judicial proceeding is a federal judicial proceeding.

Penalty:  Imprisonment for 5 years.

             (2)  Strict liability applies to the paragraph (1)(c) element of the offence.

Note:          For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code .

             (3)  Absolute liability applies to the paragraph (1)(d) element of the offence.

Note:          For absolute liability, see section 6.2 of the Criminal Code .

             (4)  For the purposes of this section, it is immaterial:

                     (a)  whether the testimony is given:

                              (i)  on oath or not on oath; or

                             (ii)  orally or in writing; or

                     (b)  whether the court or judicial tribunal to which the testimony is given:

                              (i)  is properly constituted; or

                             (ii)  is held in the proper place; or

                     (c)  whether the person who gave the testimony is a competent witness; or

                     (d)  whether the testimony is admissible.