Is lying illegal

Answer 1

Lying* is legal except in specific circumstances. For example, it is NOT legal to lie when filling out an official form, when under oath in a court of law, or to a law enforcement officer who is conducting an official investigation.

While not illegal, lying is not usually a good idea except when in response to a question of the general format of "Do these make me look fat?"

Answer 2

Not in the USA. I wish it was!

Answer:

Lying to a police officer can be obstruction of justice.

Lying for material gain can be considered fraud.

Lying under oath is perjury, even if it is "just about sex".

Lying about someone else can be slander (or libel, if you do it in writing).

Answer 3

Most people most of the time in most situations never need to worry about being in trouble with the law due to lying. You can spend the rest of your life telling everyone you see that you are Superman without ever having to worry about the men in blue coming to take you away (such a person should, however, keep a lookout for the men in white). ;) There are many people who have a psychological disorder that causes them to lie all the time, even when it's easier to tell the truth or when there is nothing to be gained by lying. The medical term for the disorder is pseudologia fantastica (PF), but it is commonly called pathological lying.

But even "normal" people in everyday conversation are expected to tell "white lies" from time to time in order to spare the other person's feelings. For example, when your wife asks, "Does this dress make me look fat?" you should never reply "No, your fat makes you look fat." And regarding all those people who audition for shows like American Idol despite the fact that they sound like a cat stuck in the dryer, statistically it is highly improbable that among all their friends there is not a single one with an ear for music. It is much easier to applaud their banshee screeches than to deal with the feedback that may result from admitting, "Dude, you're making my ears bleed!"

There are situations, however, in which you can get into a great deal of legal trouble by lying, including spending years in prison! First of all, if you are in a legal proceeding and are under oath or affirmation to tell the truth, knowingly lying, also known as bearing false witness, is a felony that could result in prison time. It's called perjury, and only the U.S. President is allowed to get away with it.

Someone who has entered into a contract to provide a product or service in exchange for some sort of payment or barter can get in really big trouble if they willfully misrepresent the product or service or if they willfully attempt to defraud the other party. That applies not only to written contracts but to verbal agreements as well, even if you're just shoveling a neighbor's walk or helping somebody move. Advertising is applicable here, too. You can get away with a sign that says "Best BBQ in Texas!" but I wouldn't post the one that says "Our BBQ cures blindness!"

I saw a show a decade or two ago in which a minor problem was created in a refrigerator in one situation and an air conditioning system in another. One by one they called in local contractors to the home for diagnose and repair. They dealt with a total of about ten different contractors if I remember right, and the only one who didn't try to rip off the "homeowner" was the one who spotted the hidden camera. Those people are definitely committing criminal offenses. The situation is a little better since you can now buy a really tiny video camera for not too much money, and we now have Yelp, too, so you can check out a contractor's reputation, but there are still a lot of people out there who are totally devoid of morals and will deceive you into paying them too much every chance they get.

Caveat emptor!

Answer 4

It certainly can be, but it is not always. If it is not 'puffery' it could be fraud.

Answer 5

well, no. Unless your in court. You could get in serious trouble if you lied to the jury