He is or was (truth)

[Talab1234]

What is the difference between the two?

1. He is the one who reviewed the report.
2. He was the one who reviewed the report.

- Does this mean the person who reviewed is dead? Can “was” refer to what person did in the past? When should I use is/was in the scenarios above?

 

[Skrej]

No, he's not necessarily dead. Yes, we can use the past tense to refer to something someone did in the past.

 

[Barque]

What is the difference between the two?

I'd be more likely to use the first (is) if the review had happened in the recent past, recent enough that it was still a topic of discussion. I'd probably use the second (was) if the review had happened earlier in the past and the topic had come up again. The length of time that would influence my decision would of course depend on the actual situation.

Can “was” refer to what a/the person did in the past?

That's how "was" is usually used.