1 in 4 family court cases not the biological father in Brighton The deliberate or reckless making of a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth would usually be so inherently serious that nothing short of an order for committal to prison would be sufficient. The Court made specific reference to contempt of court where a claimant sought to support a spurious or exaggerated claim, a lay witness seeking to provide evidence in support of such a claim, or an expert witness putting forward an opinion without an honest belief in its truth. Where it was an expert making the false statement, the fact that he or she was acting corruptly and made the relevant false statement for reward would make the case even more serious. It would be a serious contempt of court even if the expert witness acted from an indirect financial motive the court gave examples such as a desire to obtain more work from a particular solicitor. It would still be a serious contempt if there was no financial motivation. Experts owe an overriding duty to the court that supersedes their duty to whoever is instructing them. Contempt by an expert undermines the administration of justice. It would therefore always be serious. It did not matter that the deliberate of reckless false statement was identified at an early stage and it did not matter that the deliberate or reckless false statement did not affect the outcome of the litigation. There is a great deal of trust placed on a witness. Putting forward a false statement, not caring about the truth, was usually almost as serious a contempt as telling a deliberate lie.
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