This does happen quite often to choisyas. Cut back all of the dead wood and it should regenerate.

Choisyas are one of those shrubs which can be cut back virtually to the ground and they will quickly regenerate.

I had to cut back a very leggy 7 foot tall one about two years ago. I cut it back to about 6 inches tall and it is now about 3 feet tall again.

Hi Anchorman, is now a good time to do it please? Sorry for jumping in on you question Adele.

What I was going to say, although it has already been said in a way, was that if when you cut out the dead branches it looks a weird shape then I would cut it all back until you feel you have a chance of a good shape later when it regrows, which it will. You can do it any time now.

Annella

I'd say Mid to late May would be the best time for a very hard prune as it gives the shrub the whole of summer/autumn to put out new growth but you could prune it very hard now and it should put out new growth and be Ok for the winter.

The later you prune the softer the new growth will be going into the winter, maybe remove the dead stuff to tidy it up then hard prune as advised next year