Chief judge Xiao Yang said on Friday that people's courts should keep a balance between strictness and leniency when handling major criminal cases.

"Social or media pressure should not lead to heavy or excessive penalties," Xiao told an on-going national conference.

He urged courts at all levels to improve their capabilities of trying major criminal cases, saying that courts should be loyal to law, obey laws and be fair and just in their trial work.

Xiao also said courts should regard the trial of cases relating to corruption and dereliction of duty as an urgent task reflecting the life and death of the Party and the nation.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2007)