As a result, common law definitions remain largely relevant to Hong Kong.
[3] Contrary to the position in England and Wales, there is no time limit beyond which the consent of the Secretary of Justice would be required.
The retention of intention to cause grievous bodily harm as a form of "malice aforethought" (the other form being the intention to kill) was challenged in the case HKSAR v Lau Cheong[4] as being both insufficient in common law and in contrary to the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights.
The five judges, sitting on the Court of Final Appeal, unanimously rejected both arguments.
[5] The Offences against the Person Ordinance prescribes a number of specific types of attempted murder, including by using poison, wounding another (§ 10), by destroying or damaging building (§ 11), setting fire to or casting away ship (§ 12) and attempting to shoot or drown (§ 13), which are all punishable by life imprisonment.