Legislative Council of Hong Kong

“ Any person, whatever his nationality, who in Hong Kong or elsewhere—
(a) detains any other person (“the hostage”) ; and (b) in order to compel a state, an international governmental organization or any person to do or to abstain from doing any act, threatens to kill, injure or continue to detain the hostage, commits an offence.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.
(3) Proceedings for an offence under this section shall only be instituted by, or with the consent of, the Attorney General. ”

“ If in any proceedings for an offence under or by virtue of this Ordinance a question arises as to whether a person is or was a protected person, a document purporting to be a certificate issued by the Governor and to certify any fact relating to the question shall be conclusive evidence of that fact. ”