PERJURY IN LAW COURTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20092, 22 November 1930, Page 15

PERJURY IN LAW COURTS.

JUDGE SAYS IT IS RIFE. A LECTURE ON- TRUTH. (UNITED PR KBS ASSOCIATION—BT ILICIKIC aXLIOttAPH— COPYRIGHT.) LONDON, November 20. "Truth" was the subject of the Hon. Mr Justice McCardie's Maudsley lecture at the British Medical Association offices.

He drew a remarkable picture _of .English Courts, and said perjury could never have been more rife than to-day. It was regarded as a normal'incident in a contested criminal trial; it had ceasod to be a surprise, and had become almost a matter of course. Those who were accused gave evidence, jiot for tho purpose of admitting, but for denying the offence.

He regretted to say that perjury was encouraged and increased by the low standard of frankness and honesty widely and unhappily shown in many aspects of the Party political system. Perjury was committed in a greater or lesser degree in most civil and criminal cases. Murderers must be self-pos-sessed: tie could recall few who did not give testimony confident and dispassionate, with adroitness of reply, ingenuity of explanation, and singular case of manner.

• Nothing, could exceed the -skill, selfconfidence and audacious reliance on sex frequently displayed by the - intelligent woman'perjurer, who, furthermore, had a histrionic sense not possessed by tho male.

If every offence were prosecuted the criminal Courts of England would be engaged daily throughout the year. Psychologists who could discover a reliable and practical method of testing veracity would be the greatest benefactors known in the long history of human justice. Ho added that he .did not kpow of anyone wrongly convicted, though many guilty persons had escaped.