If you are a Barrister and you swear an affidavit you know to be false.. what consequences?

OK this person, a barrister, swore an affidavit attaching a document that completely lacked fidelity. It was forged. During court proceedings that part of the sworn affidavit was not read.. they decided to pull it when they learnt of the line of witnesses waiting in the corridors. So it never made it into to evidence. Can that affidavit be used as evidence that the Barrister is of bad character or is it forever sealed away by the court?

Given that the only reason it got pulled was because of the line of credible witnesses ready to testify.. what does that say to us about the embarrassing legal system we have developed as common law?

Answer:
If the lawyer signed it, and it's in the case record, and he knew it was a fake, I don't believe it matters whether it was ever read in court.

Here in the States, affidavits generally begin with the same boilerplate:

"I, John Doe, UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY, hereby affirm blah blah blah."

Can't get any clearer than that.

EDIT: Assuming you have no connection to this case (as in you don't work for any of the people involved or anything like that), you can report the barrister to the bar association or law society's disciplinary committee. You don't need to pay anyone to report someone. You can also always tell what you know to the other side in the case and let them deal with it. Be prepared to be called as a witness and present evidence about how you came to know this information though.


There was a somewhat similar case in todays scottish papers about a solicitor providing a false alibi for a client ,he will go to jail and be struck off .If you have genuine proof send copies to the d.p.p. and the Law society plus the Lord Chancellors office for a similar outcome.Iwill watch the papers with interest. Though I wont hold my breath for action ,THE DEVIL LOOKS AFTER HIS OWN.

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