A courtroom was opened in the 2008 Olympic village area on Thursday to deal with civil cases in this northern part of the city where the 2008 Olympic Games will be held.

The People's Courtroom of the Olympic Village, which will report to Beijing's Chaoyang District People's Court, will mainly handle civil cases reported in the areas around the Olympic Village -- Datun, Laiguangying and Xiaoguan communities.

The National Stadium venue, dubbed the "Bird's Nest", and the National Aquatics Center known as the "Water Cube," are also located in this part of the city.

"The courtroom will contribute to security and stability in this area before, during and after the Olympics," said Tong Keke, secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of CPC (Communist Party of China) Chaoyang District Committee.

The Chaoyang District People's Court, founded in December 1952, has seven other courtrooms in different areas of the district.

Li Xinsheng, president of the Chaoyang court, pledged on Thursday that cases related to the Olympics will be carefully scrutinized, especially those relating to demolition, forestation and road construction, as well as cases involving ticket sales and copyright infringements.

"We will do our best to offer a rapid and convenient solution to such disputes through the new courtroom," Li said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2007)