Aaron H. L. Wong
Aaron’s research focuses on criminal law and criminal justice, with particular emphasis on joint criminal enterprise, youth justice, sentencing, and Hong Kong criminal law. Much of his research is reform-oriented, exploring ways to better promote fairness, coherence, and principled decision-making in criminal law and criminal justice systems.
Aaron’s recent publications have appeared in international journals including the Cambridge Law Journal, Statute Law Review, Asian Journal of Comparative Law, Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Youth Justice, and The Lancet Psychiatry. His research has been cited by the UK Home Office, the Law Library of Congress (US), and in Archbold: Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice (UK edition).
List of Publications
Journal Articles
Wong A and Lin E, "Beyond the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility and the Presumption of doli incapax: The Case for a Child Immaturity Defence" Current Issues in Criminal Justice (Published online ahead of print) <Link>
Wong A, Chui W and Khiatani P, “From Disciplinary Welfare Sanction to Punishment and Deterrence: Contemporary Changes in Hong Kong’s Youth Sentencing Philosophy” Youth Justice (Published online ahead of print) <Link>
Wong A and Crofts T, “Should the Extended Joint Enterprise Principle be Retained? A Critical Evaluation of the Divergent Approaches between England and Wales and Hong Kong” Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly (Published online ahead of print) <Link>
Wong A, “Does the Basic Joint Enterprise Principle Have Any Value?” (2025) 20 Asian Journal of Comparative Law 120 <Link>
Wong A, “Can Lowering the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility be Justified? A Critical Review of China's Recent Amendment” (2024) 63 Howard Journal of Crime and Justice 3 <Link>
Chiu U and Wong A, “When Socialist Chinese Law Meets Common Law Interpretation: Mandatory Sentencing and Mitigation Under the Hong Kong National Security Law” (2024) Statute Law Review hmae046 <Link>
Wong A, “Justifications for Imposing Strict and Absolute Criminal Liability, and the Case for a Halfway House Defence” (2024) 88 The Journal of Criminal Law 358 <Link>
Chui W, Kao H and Wong A, “Systematic Child Abuse Incidents in a Children’s Residential Home in Hong Kong: Regulatory and Criminal Law Reform Proposals” (2023) 26 Public Administration and Policy 295 <Link>
Book Chapters in Edited Volumes
Marsh L and Wong A, “The Law of Disclosure in Hong Kong: The Right to Silence and Adversarial Fairness” in Johnston E and Smith T (eds), Global Perspectives on the Law of Disclosure (Routledge 2026) <Link>
Chui W, Wong A and Khiatani P, “Softening the Hearts of People Who Come into Conflict with the Law: Criminal Justice Social Work in Hong Kong” in Bald C and Martínez Herrero M (eds), The Routledge International Handbook of Criminal Justice Social Work (Routledge 2026) <Link>
Wong A, Khiatani P and Chui W, “Doxxing as a Deviant Behaviour: A Critical Analysis of Hong Kong’s Criminal Law Reform Against Doxxing Activities” in Graham R, Humer S, Lee C and Nagy V (eds), The Routledge International Handbook of Online Deviance (Routledge 2025) <Link>
Wong A, Wong F and Chui W, “Offender Rehabilitation in Hong Kong: Current Practice and Service Development” in Chu C and Daffern M (eds), Approaches to Offender Rehabilitation in Asian Jurisdictions (Routledge 2024) <Link>
Chui W, Wong A, Kao H and Wong F, “The Role of Prison Officers in Transforming Prisoners’ Lives in Hong Kong” in Arnold H, Maycock M and Ricciardelli R (eds), Prison Officers: International Perspectives on Prison Work (Palgrave 2024) <Link>
Shorter Contributions to Journals
Case Comments
Wong A, “Speculative Leap in Inferring Conditional Intent” (2023) 82 Cambridge Law Journal 228 <Link>
Wong A, “Blurring Boundaries on ‘Taking Part’ in an Unlawful Assembly: HKSAR v Choy Kin Yue (2022) 25 HKCFAR 360” (2023) 23 Oxford University Commonwealth Law Journal 233 <Link>
Wong A and Lui N, “Dangerous Expansion of Basic Joint Enterprise in Hong Kong: HKSAR v Tsang Cheung Yan [2022] 1 HKLRD 167” (2023) 87 The Journal of Criminal Law 156 <Link>
Comment and Correspondence
Wong A, “Moving Hong Kong Towards a Tobacco-free Generation: Rebutting Counter Arguments” (2024) 45 The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific 101064 <Link>
Wong A and Ngan J, “Mental Illness Defence in Criminal Law: A Call for Reform” (2023) 10 The Lancet Psychiatry E11 <Link>
Book Review
Wong A, “Book review: Responses to Serious Offending by Children: Principles, Practice and Global Perspectives, Lynch N, Van den Brink Y and Forde L (eds)” (2024) 24 Criminology & Criminal Justice 706 <Link>
Research Encyclopedia Entry
Wessel P and Wong A, “United Nations Ombudsperson on Counter-Terrorism” in Blackbourn J, Vaughan K and Macdonald S (eds), Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Terrorism Law (Forthcoming) <Pre-Publication Link>
Professional and Other Publications
Kao H and Wong A, “The Need for Respecting Child Autonomy in Hong Kong’s New Child Abuse Mandatory Reporting Regime” Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog (March 2025) <Link>
Wong A, “Hong Kong Should Follow Mainland China’s More Progressive Approach to Juvenile Justice” South China Morning Post (March 4, 2023) <Link>
Wong A and Lee D, “Rethinking the Fairness of Additional Penalty in Fixed Penalty Offences” Hong Kong Lawyer (February 2023, p.46-53) <Link>
Wong A, “Minimum Sentences for Children Under Hong Kong’s National Security Law” Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog (November 2022) <Link>
Wong A and Lui V, “Enhancing Sentencing Transparency: Publicising Sentencing Guidelines” Hong Kong Lawyer (July 2022, online) <Link>
Wong A, “Combating Cyberflashing in Hong Kong- What Can Be Done?” Hong Kong Lawyer (June 2022, online) <Link>
Wong A, “Possessing Indecent Images of Children- Hong Kong’s Legal Lacuna” Hong Kong Lawyer (May 2022, p.46-47) <Link>