 In 1613, the Star Chamber declared perjury by a witness to be a punishable offence at common law.Prior to the 1911 Act, perjury was governed by section 3 of the Maintenance and Embracery Act 1540 5 Eliz 1 c. 9 (An Act for the Punyshement of suche persones as shall procure or comit any wyllful Perjurye; repealed 1967) and the Perjury Act 1728.The requirement that the statement be material can be traced back to and has been credited to Edward Coke, who said