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Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the longest term of imprisonment imposed by the courts on an individual found guilty of perjury since 1979; [5501](2) how many persons have been prosecuted and found guilty of perjury in each year since 1979. [5502]
Mr. Michael
The longest term of imprisonment imposed at the Crown Court since 1979 for an offence of perjury is five years (given in 1987 and 1989).Prosecution and conviction data are shown in the table:
| Number of persons prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted1 at all courts for offences of perjury2,1979–1995 | ||
| England and Wales | ||
| Year | Prosecuted | Convicted1 |
| 1979 | 149 | 135 |
| 1980 | 158 | 174 |
| 1981 | 146 | 145 |
| 1982 | 148 | 131 |
| 1983 | 147 | 139 |
| 1984 | 161 | 186 |
| 1985 | 166 | 162 |
| 1986 | 124 | 124 |
| 1987 | 183 | 167 |
| 1988 | 220 | 203 |
| 1989 | 226 | 195 |
| 1990 | 176 | 160 |
| 1991 | 217 | 166 |
| 1992 | 212 | 164 |
| 1993 | 198 | 150 |
| 1994 | 198 | 144 |
| 1995 | 232 | 193 |
| 1 Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences. | ||
| 2 An offence under the Perjury Act 1911 and Criminal Justice Act 1925, Sec. 36, Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec. 89, Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969 Sec.12(2) (in part), Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 Sec. 106, Mental Health Act 1983 Sec. 126(4), County Courts Act 1984 Sec. 133, and Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec. 75. | ||