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)
