user11674: Suppose I tell a lie in order to protect others or to protect myself; is it still considered to be 'unwholesome'?
Or let's take the common example of a person who isn't really moral; is it okay to inform friends/colleagues of this aspects, or is it unkind to the person?

user700: I remember that during a dhamma talk of the Buddhist monk, peace activist, writer and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, he mentioned this subject. He said that If a person is trying to find a person to kill him/her and asks you the place of this person, don't tell the truth. My opinion is this is not the "lying" that harms the humanity, this is saving a person's life from an evil being. It's actually a very wholesome action. Also informing other people about the truth of an evil person is not an evil deed either. 
Lying is a widespread habit of the vast majority of humans in modern times and it is really a destructive habit. Lying actually makes a human more prone to doing evil deeds, harming others and unable to feel guilty which can be the only thing for an ordinary person that stop them doing evil deeds. Lying also make a person unable to meditate properly and it make the spirituality more difficult. So "do not lie" precept of Buddhism is very important like the other precepts. But we must become free from the limited interpretations of the Buddhist principles.
Note: But for most people lying serves the selfish/egotistical purposes which is not cool. That's why people must take the lying precept seriously-except when the exceptional life experiences happens- like "saving other beings lives" ofcourse.

user10100: Sutta. Ma. Ma. cūḷarāhulovādasuttaṃ:

"In the same way, Rahula, when anyone feels no shame in telling a deliberate lie, there is no evil, I tell you, he will not do. Thus, Rahula, you should train yourself, 'I will not tell a deliberate lie even in jest.'

The four noble truth is the opposite of lying.
It's a reason that I super trust in Pali Canons because the Noble Ones can't lie at all situations.
Although I am an ordinary, I can the witness that it is possible to speak the truth in all situations because I never lie through 12 years in Buddhism. It depends on personnal management. Actually, there has not only the lie method, so the practitioner should practice the other methods instead of the lie.
However, the noble one has at least three methods to manage the unsecured situation by the murder, etc.

Running away.
Asking the evaded question to let the listeners think of the answer by themselves. See Dha.A.4 sahassavaggavaṇṇanā Tambadathikacoraghatakavatthu.
Mute. or sacrifice his life to keep the truth. It's just mute until the murder tortures or kills the noble one. See Dha.A.5 pāpavaggavaṇṇanā Maṇikārakulupakatissattheravatthu.

The ordinary thinks lying is the only way, but the noble one thinks there are many ways instead of the lying to manage the unsecured situation.
Additional
In Khuddaka.A. (paramatthajo.) Sikkhāpadavaṇṇanā:
How is big of the fault from the lie?

In immoral animals, e.g. ant and chimpanzee,  lie the small body is lesser fault than bigger because of it's required more effort to lie if both animals can understand the lie.
In moral animals, e.g. human and god, lie the lower wholesome skill is lesser fault than higher.
In the animal which has the same body and wholesome skill, lie the higher passion is more fault than the lower.

All Ariyas Can't Lie
In Sutta. Aṅ. (2): catukkanipāto Āpattibhayavaggo VoharaSutta:

250. Expressions (1st)
250. Paṭhamavohārasutta
“Mendicants, there are these four ignoble expressions (the noble one doesn't express).
“Cattārome, bhikkhave, anariyavohārā.
What four?
Katame cattāro?
Saying you’ve seen, heard, thought, or known something, but you haven’t.
Adiṭṭhe diṭṭhavāditā, asute sutavāditā, amute mutavāditā, aviññāte viññātavāditā—
These are the four ignoble expressions.”
ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro anariyavohārā”ti.
251. Expressions (2nd)
251. Dutiyavohārasutta
“Mendicants, there are these four noble expressions. (the noble one expresses).
“Cattārome, bhikkhave, ariyavohārā.
What four?
Katame cattāro?
Saying you haven’t seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you haven’t.
Adiṭṭhe adiṭṭhavāditā, asute asutavāditā, amute amutavāditā, aviññāte aviññātavāditā—
These are the four noble expressions.”
ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro ariyavohārā”ti.
252. Expressions (3rd)
252. Tatiyavohārasutta
“Mendicants, there are these four ignoble expressions.
“Cattārome, bhikkhave, anariyavohārā.
What four?
Katame cattāro?
Saying you haven’t seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you have.
Diṭṭhe adiṭṭhavāditā, sute asutavāditā, mute amutavāditā, viññāte aviññātavāditā—
These are the four ignoble expressions.”
ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro anariyavohārā”ti.
253. Expressions (4th)
253. Catutthavohārasutta
“Mendicants, there are these four noble expressions.
“Cattārome, bhikkhave, ariyavohārā.
What four?
Katame cattāro?
Saying you’ve seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you have.
Diṭṭhe diṭṭhavāditā, sute sutavāditā, mute mutavāditā, viññāte viññātavāditā—
These are the four noble expressions.”
ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro ariyavohārā”ti.


11674: <p>Suppose I tell a lie in order to protect others or to protect myself; is it still considered to be 'unwholesome'?</p>

<p>Or let's take the common example of a person who isn't really moral; is it okay to inform friends/colleagues of this aspects, or is it unkind to the person?</p>
 700: <p>I remember that during a dhamma talk of the Buddhist monk, peace activist, writer and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, he mentioned this subject. He said that If a person is trying to find a person to kill him/her and asks you the place of this person, don't tell the truth. My opinion is this is not the "lying" that harms the humanity, this is saving a person's life from an evil being. It's actually a very wholesome action. Also informing other people about the truth of an evil person is not an evil deed either. </p>

<p>Lying is a widespread habit of the vast majority of humans in modern times and it is really a destructive habit. Lying actually makes a human more prone to doing evil deeds, harming others and unable to feel guilty which can be the only thing for an ordinary person that stop them doing evil deeds. Lying also make a person unable to meditate properly and it make the spirituality more difficult. So "do not lie" precept of Buddhism is very important like the other precepts. But we must become free from the limited interpretations of the Buddhist principles.</p>

<p>Note: But for most people lying serves the selfish/egotistical purposes which is not cool. That's why people must take the lying precept seriously-except when the exceptional life experiences happens- like "saving other beings lives" ofcourse.</p>
 10100: <p>Sutta. Ma. Ma. <a href="http://www.84000.org/tipitaka/read/roman_read.php?B=13&amp;A=2518&amp;eng=accesstoinsight_than" rel="nofollow noreferrer">cūḷarāhulovādasuttaṃ</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;In the same way, Rahula, when anyone feels no shame in telling a deliberate lie, there is no evil, I tell you, he will not do. Thus, Rahula, you should train yourself, 'I will not tell a deliberate lie even in jest.'</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The four noble <strong>truth</strong> is the opposite of <strong>lying</strong>.</p>
<p>It's a reason that I super trust in Pali Canons because the Noble Ones can't lie at all situations.</p>
<p>Although I am an ordinary, I can the witness that it is possible to speak the truth in all situations because I never lie through 12 years in Buddhism. It depends on personnal management. <strong>Actually, there has not only the lie method, so the practitioner should practice the other methods instead of the lie.</strong></p>
<p>However, the noble one has at least three methods to manage the unsecured situation by the murder, etc.</p>
<ol>
<li>Running away.</li>
<li>Asking the evaded question to let the listeners think of the answer by themselves. See Dha.A.4 sahassavaggavaṇṇanā <a href="http://www.84000.org/tipitaka/atthapali/read_rm.php?B=21&amp;A=1780&amp;modeTY=1&amp;h=ki%E1%B9%83pana:ma%E1%B9%83k%C4%81r%C4%81pesi#hl" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tambadathikacoraghatakavatthu</a>.</li>
<li>Mute. or sacrifice his life to keep the truth. It's just mute until the murder tortures or kills the noble one. See Dha.A.5 pāpavaggavaṇṇanā <a href="http://www.84000.org/tipitaka/atthapali/read_rm.php?B=22&amp;A=1&amp;h=Ma%E1%B9%87ik%C4%81ra#hl" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Maṇikārakulupakatissattheravatthu</a>.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>The ordinary thinks lying is the only way, but the noble one thinks there are many ways instead of the lying to manage the unsecured situation.</strong></p>
<h2>Additional</h2>
<p>In Khuddaka.A. (paramatthajo.) <a href="http://www.84000.org/tipitaka/atthapali/read_rm.php?B=17&amp;A=329&amp;h=Mah%C4%81s%C4%81vajjatoti,mah%C4%81s%C4%81vajjo#hl" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sikkhāpadavaṇṇanā</a>:</p>
<p>How is big of the fault from the lie?</p>
<ol>
<li>In immoral animals, e.g. ant and chimpanzee,  lie the small body is lesser fault than bigger because of it's required more effort to lie if both animals can understand the lie.</li>
<li>In moral animals, e.g. human and god, lie the lower wholesome skill is lesser fault than higher.</li>
<li>In the animal which has the same body and wholesome skill, lie the higher passion is more fault than the lower.</li>
</ol>
<h2>All Ariyas Can't Lie</h2>
<p>In Sutta. Aṅ. (2): catukkanipāto Āpattibhayavaggo <a href="http://www.84000.org/tipitaka/read/roman_read.php?B=21&amp;A=6870&amp;eng=suttacentral_10" rel="nofollow noreferrer">VoharaSutta</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>250. Expressions (1st)</em></p>
<p><em>250. Paṭhamavohārasutta</em></p>
<p>“Mendicants, there are these four ignoble expressions (<strong>the noble one doesn't express</strong>).</p>
<p>“Cattārome, bhikkhave, an<strong>ariya</strong>vohārā.</p>
<p>What four?</p>
<p>Katame cattāro?</p>
<p>Saying you’ve seen, heard, thought, or known something, but you haven’t.</p>
<p>Adiṭṭhe diṭṭhavāditā, asute sutavāditā, amute mutavāditā, aviññāte viññātavāditā—</p>
<p>These are the four ignoble expressions.”</p>
<p>ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro an<strong>ariya</strong>vohārā”ti.</p>
<p><em>251. Expressions (2nd)</em></p>
<p><em>251. Dutiyavohārasutta</em></p>
<p>“Mendicants, there are these four noble expressions. (<strong>the noble one expresses</strong>).</p>
<p>“Cattārome, bhikkhave, <strong>ariya</strong>vohārā.</p>
<p>What four?</p>
<p>Katame cattāro?</p>
<p>Saying you haven’t seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you haven’t.</p>
<p>Adiṭṭhe adiṭṭhavāditā, asute asutavāditā, amute amutavāditā, aviññāte aviññātavāditā—</p>
<p>These are the four noble expressions.”</p>
<p>ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro <strong>ariya</strong>vohārā”ti.</p>
<p><em>252. Expressions (3rd)</em></p>
<p><em>252. Tatiyavohārasutta</em></p>
<p>“Mendicants, there are these four ignoble expressions.</p>
<p>“Cattārome, bhikkhave, an<strong>ariya</strong>vohārā.</p>
<p>What four?</p>
<p>Katame cattāro?</p>
<p>Saying you haven’t seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you have.</p>
<p>Diṭṭhe adiṭṭhavāditā, sute asutavāditā, mute amutavāditā, viññāte aviññātavāditā—</p>
<p>These are the four ignoble expressions.”</p>
<p>ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro an<strong>ariya</strong>vohārā”ti.</p>
<p><em>253. Expressions (4th)</em></p>
<p><em>253. Catutthavohārasutta</em></p>
<p>“Mendicants, there are these four noble expressions.</p>
<p>“Cattārome, bhikkhave, <strong>ariya</strong>vohārā.</p>
<p>What four?</p>
<p>Katame cattāro?</p>
<p>Saying you’ve seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you have.</p>
<p>Diṭṭhe diṭṭhavāditā, sute sutavāditā, mute mutavāditā, viññāte viññātavāditā—</p>
<p>These are the four noble expressions.”</p>
<p>ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro <strong>ariya</strong>vohārā”ti.</p>
</blockquote>
