You've got to be kidding me! Was it this panel, or another panel? Either way, that judge showed a complet lack of judgement. There's a reason oaths are required in our trials - the fear of perjury charges. In fact they should be required to take an oath on both the Quran and the Bible just to be safe.
Obviously that judge has never heard of "Taqiyya". Here's one interpretation from
Wikipedia for Sunnis.
“Speaking is a means to achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it is unlawful to accomplish it through lying because there is no need for it. When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible..., and obligatory to lie if the goal is obligatory. ...One should compare the bad consequences entailed by lying to those entailed by telling the truth, and if the consequences of telling the truth are more damaging, one is entitled to lie…”