(ii) Oath
The second ingredient of this crime is that the false testimony shall have been given on oath lawfully administered by the competent authority. In some other systems of law this requirement is not essential. Thus, in article 214 of the Italian Code of 1889 the fact that the deposition is given on oath rather than without it affects only the “quantum” of punishment: “L’ultima parte dell’articolo 214 dimostra non essere condizione necessaria del delitto in esame la prestazione del giuramento da parte di colui che falsamente depose. Ciò non e’ più necessario - così la relazione ministeriale sul progetto del 1887 - dopo che, per il progresso della scienza e della civiltà, la falsa testimonianza ha cessato di essere un reato contro la religione, ed e’ divenuta, secondo l’intrinseca sua natura, un delitto contro l’amministrazione della giustizia”124. The oath is not required either by the present Italian Code (Article 372). But in our law, as in the English law, if the testimony is not given on oath, no statement or affirmation however false will constitute this crime. By Section 15, sub-section 1 of the Perjury Act, 1911125, for the purposes of that Act, the form and ceremonies used in administering the oath are immaterial if the court or person before whom the oath is taken has power to administer an oath for the purpose of verifying the statement in question, and if the oath has been administered in a form and with ceremonies which the person taking the oath has accepted without opposition or has declared to be binding on him. But Section 528 of our Criminal Code prescribes the form of the oath to be administered to witnesses, that is: “You A.B. do swear that the evidence which you shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help you God." And in civil matters Section 109 of the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure lays down that:
124
Maino, para. 1112
125
1 and 2 Geo. 5c 6
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