Lying in British Parliament rarely draws liability

LONDON - Procedures in the British Parliament - which usually serve as a model followed by legislatures in many former British-ruled territories including Singapore - make it extremely difficult for a member of Parliament to be charged, let alone punished for lying in the parliamentary chamber.

This may sound as a curious approach, since the matter of trust and accountability are often listed as the foundation of a parliamentary democracy, and lying in almost any other activity is considered a serious criminal offence.