How Long Does a Hong Kong Judgment Last? 12 Years, With a Catch at Six

How long is a Hong Kong judgment valid?

The outer limit is twelve years. Section 4(4) of the Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347) says an action shall not be brought upon any judgment after the expiration of 12 years from the date on which the judgment became enforceable. A limitation period is the statutory time after which a claim can no longer be brought, however good it is.

Two words in that sentence do the work. Enforceable means the clock starts when you could first have enforced, which is normally the date of the judgment, not the date you realise the debtor is not paying. Action is defined in section 2 to include any proceeding in a court of law, so do not plan on finding a procedural route that sits outside the twelve years.

The same subsection sets a second, shorter limit that most creditors miss: no arrears of interest in respect of any judgment debt shall be recovered after the expiration of 6 years from the date on which the interest became due. The principal survives for twelve years; each year's interest survives for six.

What changes six years after the judgment?

Execution stops being automatic. Order 46, rule 2(1)(a) of the Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A) provides that a writ of execution to enforce a judgment or order may not issue without the leave of the Court where 6 years or more have elapsed since the date of the judgment or order. The Rules of the District Court (Cap. 336H) contain the same rule with the same number.

A writ of execution is the court document that lets the Bailiff act. Order 46, rule 1 says it includes a writ of fieri facias (seizure and sale of goods), a writ of possession, a writ of delivery and a writ of sequestration.

Leave is an application, not a formality. Rule 4 says it may be made ex parte (without notice to the debtor) unless the Court directs a summons, and it must be supported by an affidavit that identifies the judgment, states the amount originally due and the amount due now, and, where the six years have passed, states the reasons for the delay in enforcing it.

Does this apply to a Small Claims Tribunal award?

Yes, through the District Court. Section 32 of the Small Claims Tribunal Ordinance (Cap. 338) says an award of the tribunal may be enforced in the District Court in the same manner as a judgment of that court. Enforcing an award therefore means using the District Court's machinery, and its rules of execution, including the six-year leave rule in Order 46.

Interest follows the same route. Under section 33(3) an award carries interest on the amount still unsatisfied from the date of the award until it is paid, and section 33(4) fixes the rate as the one from time to time applicable to judgment debts under section 50 of the District Court Ordinance (Cap. 336). An unpaid award grows at the same rate as a District Court judgment.

The Tribunal itself does not chase payment. Winning gives you the right to enforce, and the steps, fees and Bailiff deposit are yours to start. Our earlier guide to enforcing a Hong Kong judgment walks through the writ of fieri facias, garnishee orders and charging orders.

How much interest does a Hong Kong judgment debt earn?

Unless the court orders a different rate, a judgment debt carries simple interest from the date of judgment until it is paid, at the rate the Chief Justice determines from time to time by order. The authority is section 49(1) of the High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4) and section 50(1) of the District Court Ordinance (Cap. 336), and the Judiciary publishes each rate with the date it took effect.

Simple interest is calculated on the unpaid principal only; interest does not itself earn interest. The rate is reviewed quarterly and has fallen from 8.875% through 2024 to 8.000% since 1 April 2026.

A worked example: a HK$50,000 award left unpaid

Take a Small Claims Tribunal award of HK$50,000 that the debtor ignores. At today's 8.000%, simple interest adds HK$4,000 a year, about HK$10.96 a day (HK$50,000 × 8% ÷ 365). The rate is reset by the Chief Justice from time to time, so a real calculation uses each period's rate for the days it was in force; the figures below hold 8.000% steady to show the shape.

How long does a writ of execution last?

Twelve months, and it can be extended. Order 46, rule 8 says a writ of execution is valid in the first instance for 12 months beginning with the date of its issue. If it has not been wholly executed, the Court may extend it for 12 months at a time, provided the application is made before the day after the writ would otherwise expire, or any later day the Court allows.

Extension preserves your place in the queue. Rule 8(4) fixes the priority of an extended writ by the date it was originally delivered to the Bailiff, which matters when other creditors are also trying to seize the same debtor's goods. Let a writ lapse and a new one starts at the back.

Two clocks: the claim and the judgment

Before judgment, a different clock applies. An action founded on simple contract or on tort, which covers most unpaid invoices, loans and deposits, cannot be brought after 6 years from the date the cause of action accrued (s.4(1)(a)). An action on a specialty, a deed executed under seal, has 12 years (s.4(3)).

That earlier clock can restart. Under section 23(3), where a person liable for a debt or other liquidated pecuniary claim acknowledges the claim or makes any payment in respect of it, the right is deemed to accrue on the date of the acknowledgment or last payment. Section 24 requires every acknowledgment to be in writing and signed by the person making it. A text message promising to pay may not be enough; a signed letter or a bank transfer is.

Do not assume the same restart applies once you hold a judgment. Section 4(4) runs from the date the judgment became enforceable, and whether a part payment of a judgment debt resets that date is a question to take advice on rather than to rely on. What a part payment certainly does is reduce the principal on which interest runs.

Your judgment is old: what should you do this month?

Work out its age first, from the date on the judgment or award, not from the date you last asked for payment. Then find the band you are in.

• Under six years. You can issue a writ without leave. Before paying a Bailiff deposit, check what the debtor now has: a business with stock, a bank you know they use, property in their name.
• Six to twelve years. You need leave for a writ. Prepare an affidavit that explains the delay honestly, for example that the debtor had no assets until a recent change. Count interest back only six years.
• Twelve years or more. Section 4(4) bars an action on the judgment. Take advice before spending money on any step; the statute is written to stop exactly this.
• Any age. Keep the paper trail: the judgment, every payment, every writ and every Bailiff's report. The affidavit for leave is built from it.

Common questions

How long is a judgment valid in Hong Kong? An action cannot be brought on a judgment more than 12 years after the date it became enforceable, under section 4(4) of the Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347). From six years after the judgment, a writ of execution needs the court's leave under Order 46, rule 2 of the Rules of the High Court and the Rules of the District Court.

What is the interest rate on a judgment debt in Hong Kong? Unless the court orders otherwise, judgment debts carry simple interest at the rate the Chief Justice determines from time to time. It is 8.000% a year from 1 October 2026, unchanged since 1 April 2026. Arrears of interest cannot be recovered more than 6 years after they fell due.

Does a Small Claims Tribunal award earn interest? Yes. Section 33 of the Small Claims Tribunal Ordinance (Cap. 338) says an award carries interest on the unpaid amount from the date of the award until payment, at the rate applicable to District Court judgment debts, and section 32 lets the award be enforced in the District Court like a judgment of that court.