Editing Cover-up (section)

== In criminal law ==
Depending on the nature of cover-up activities, they may constitute a crime in certain jurisdictions. 

[[Perjury]] (actively telling lies to the court, as opposed to refusing to answer questions) is considered a crime in virtually all legal systems. Likewise, [[obstruction of justice]], that is, any activity that aims to cover-up another crime, is itself a crime in many legal systems. 

The United States has the crime of [[making false statements]] to a federal agent in the context of any matter within the federal jurisdiction, which includes "knowingly and willfully" making a statement that "covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact".<ref>{{USCsub|18|1001|a}}</ref>