Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to contract and tort limitation?
6 years after accrual. Bring the qualifying action. A date does not establish accrual or dispose of a limitation defence.
- Period
- 6 years after accrual
- Trigger
- Legally established cause-of-action accrual
- Rule
- Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347), section 4(1)(a)
Official verified English consolidated chapter 347, version July 9,2020. Acquired October 9, 2026, with the official current register and immutable verified PDF. Current verified official English consolidated chapter PDFs acquired October 9, 2026. Version dates retained per chapter register. No claim that a calendar proves future gale, black-rainstorm or emergency office closures.
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What period applies to contract and tort limitation?
6 years after accrual. Bring the qualifying action. A date does not establish accrual or dispose of a limitation defence.
Responsible actor. Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action.
Legally established cause-of-action accrual
6 years after accrual
Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action. Actual accrual established; Not personal-injury section 27; Not contribution section 6; No shorter enactment; Disability, acknowledgment and section 26 facts reviewed. Specialty, equitable relief and Admiralty in-rem claims require other provisions. Fraud, concealment or mistake can postpone running.
Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347), section 4(1)(a)How does this provision count time?
- Bring the qualifying action
- Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action uses the established legally established cause-of-action accrual. 6 years after accrual. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule.
- Bring the qualifying action. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. A date does not establish accrual or dispose of a limitation defence.
- A date does not establish accrual or dispose of a limitation defence.
Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action uses the established legally established cause-of-action accrual. 6 years after accrual. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule.
Bring the qualifying action. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. A date does not establish accrual or dispose of a limitation defence.
Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347), section 4(1)(a)What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action. Legally established cause-of-action accrual occurs on Friday, October 9, 2020. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Accrual Legally Established true. No Disability Acknowledgment Concealment Or Special Period true.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action. Legally established cause-of-action accrual occurs on Friday, October 9, 2020. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Accrual Legally Established true. No Disability Acknowledgment Concealment Or Special Period true. 6 years after accrual. A date does not establish accrual or dispose of a limitation defence. | Friday, October 9, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action. Legally established cause-of-action accrual occurs on Monday, October 19, 2020. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Actual Accrual Legally Established true. No Disability Acknowledgment Concealment Or Special Period true. 6 years after accrual. A date does not establish accrual or dispose of a limitation defence. | Tuesday, October 20, 2026 |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action. Legally established cause-of-action accrual occurs on Friday, October 9, 2020. The complete eligibility and procedural facts are not established. Actual Accrual Legally Established not established. No Disability Acknowledgment Concealment Or Special Period not established. This actual branch must be established independently before any ordinary endpoint can be used. Actual accrual established | Specialty, equitable relief and Admiralty in-rem claims require other provisions. Fraud, concealment or mistake can postpone running. |
Fictitious established facts. These examples do not establish eligibility, effective service, relief or a direction.
Try these dates in the calculatorWhich conditions and exceptions apply?
- Actual accrual established
- Actual accrual established
- Not personal-injury section 27
- Not personal-injury section 27
- Not contribution section 6
- Not contribution section 6
- No shorter enactment
- No shorter enactment
- Disability, acknowledgment and section 26 facts reviewed
- Disability, acknowledgment and section 26 facts reviewed
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action uses the established legally established cause-of-action accrual. 6 years after accrual. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule. Bring the qualifying action. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. A date does not establish accrual or dispose of a limitation defence.
- Claimant with a simple-contract or ordinary noninjury tort action. Actual accrual established; Not personal-injury section 27; Not contribution section 6; No shorter enactment; Disability, acknowledgment and section 26 facts reviewed. Specialty, equitable relief and Admiralty in-rem claims require other provisions. Fraud, concealment or mistake can postpone running.
- Specialty, equitable relief and Admiralty in-rem claims require other provisions. Fraud, concealment or mistake can postpone running.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to contract and tort limitation?
Does six years cover personal-injury negligence?
No. Section 27 displaces section 4 for its personal-injury actions.
Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section27When does a simple-contract claim accrue?
Establish the actual legal accrual under the claim facts. The calculator cannot assume it equals the date of signing.
Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347), section 4(1)(a)Does an action on a deed use the same six years?
Section 4(3) provides a separate twelve-year specialty branch, subject to shorter applicable periods.
Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section4(3)Can concealment change ordinary accrual counting?
Section 26 can postpone running until discovery or reasonable discoverability of the relevant fraud, concealment or mistake.
Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section26Can acknowledgment restart every tort claim?
No. Section 23 applies to its specified property, debt and pecuniary claims. Establish the actual statutory conditions.
Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section23Can another Ordinance prescribe a shorter period?
Yes. Section 40 preserves other enactments’ specific limitation periods.
Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section40Official sources and review
Provisions used (9)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347), section 4(1)(a) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap.1), section71(1)–(2) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| General Holidays Ordinance (Cap.149), section3 and Schedule | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), applicable sections20,22–26,30,31–32 and40 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section27 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section4(3) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section26 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section23 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Limitation Ordinance (Cap.347), section40 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |