A foolish oath, though false, does not amount to perjury.

Explanation

Where an oath is so vague, absurd, or impossible that it cannot affect the matter at issue, its falsity does not constitute the crime of perjury — the substance, not the form, determines the offense.

Where this applies

• Someone made a silly or absurd oath that turned out to be false — is that perjury.
• A sworn statement was about something so trivial or impossible it couldn't affect anything.
• The false statement under oath was so vague it didn't really matter to the case.

See also

• 9.2.3 An oath is indivisible; it cannot be held partly true and partly false.
• 9.2.4 Every oath ought to be founded upon certain knowledge.