Legal Scholar Warns Protesters Of Consequences

A law expert warns protesters who throw petrol bombs or attack police could face life behind bars.

Simon Young, a constitutional law expert from the University of Hong Kong, was commenting after another weekend of clashes between anti-government protesters and police, which involved an officer being stabbed in the neck with what's believed to be a box cutter.

Professor Young says he hopes the Chief Executive's Policy Address on Wednesday deals with some of the protesters' demands.

"People who are engaged in these protests need to know that some of the things we're seeing are actually punishable by life imprisonment," he said.

"For example arson, any destruction of property by fire is punishable by life imprisonment. The wounding of a police officer with either the intent to resist arrest or intent to cause grievous bodily harm is also punishable by life in prison.

"Even breaking into stores, that's a form of burglary, because you have an intention to destroy property; if you have a weapon with you it's an aggravated form of burglary, also punishable up to life imprisonment. So many of these offences are very serious."