Johnny Depp was granted an emergency hearing regarding the verdict of his libel trial against The Sun. So why is Amber Heard’s legal team getting involved?
Earlier this year Johnny Depp was granted an emergency hearing by the UK Court of Appeals regarding the very bogus verdict of his libel trial against The Sun. However, Amber Heard is the one who needs to oppose the hearing. How does that work?
A lot of people thought we made an error in our article about Amber Heard failing to oppose the emergency hearing relating to The Sun libel case.
“Amber Heard is only a witness. It is NGN that has to oppose the appeal,” confused readers tweeted at us. But, in actual fact, it is Amber Heard who must oppose the hearing. Why? Because not only is the entire case based on something she told The Sun, but Depp’s legal team is calling her out on perjury.
Johnny Depp is presenting the UK Court of Appeals with plenty of new evidence that proves Amber Heard lied under oath. Amber Heard must contest this evidence before it is officially submitted to the courts.
A legal document presented by The Law Society of Queensland (UK and AU laws are very much the same) explains that if The Sun learned that their client/witness either:
- has lied in a material particular to the court or has procured another person to lie to the court;
- has falsified or procured another person to falsify in any way a document which has been
- tendered; or
- has suppressed or procured another to suppress material evidence upon a topic where there was a
- positive duty to make disclosure to the court;
They must advise the client that the court should be informed of the lie, falsification, or suppression and request authority so to inform the court; and refuse to take any further part in the case unless the client authorises the solicitor to inform the court of the lie, falsification, or suppression.
Now that Amber Heard is being accused of perjury she must oppose the emergency hearing with evidence of her own to disprove the allegations. If she fails to do so and the evidence submitted by Johnny Depp sufficiently proves perjury then The Sun must take back all testimonies made by Heard.
This would blow the case wide open considering that the libel case is based on allegations made by Amber Heard.
If Amber Heard is found guilty of perjury, which is a very serious crime, it is very unlikely that she will serve any time.
The general rule of geographical jurisdiction in criminal cases is that conduct is actionable in both the place where it occurs and the place it causes harm. This general rule would apply, for example, when a statement is made under oath or under penalty of perjury, without knowing where it will end up being used.
However, in Amber Heard’s case, the testimony was made in a particular court under the penalty of perjury. The law of a particular country is actionable only in that courts of the jurisdiction of the court in which the statement was made, or in the courts of the jurisdiction referenced in the document.
So, worst case scenario is her UK visa is permanently revoked, if they even decide punish her.
Amber Heard is no stranger to lying. She falsified Australian government documents to smuggle her two Yorkshire terriers into Australia in 2016. During her hearing Amber Heard lied, yet again, and said that it was her personal assistant who forgot to declare that she was traveling with animals.
Despite committing breaking very serious laws in Australia, the Aquaman actress received a small smack on the wrist in the form of a AUD$1000 fine by a star struck judge.
According to our sources Amber Heard‘s team have failed to sufficiently oppose the emergency hearing and it will take place before the end of March.