China's chief justice Xiao Yang said on Friday people's courts should keep a balance between strictness and leniency when trying important and major criminal cases.

"In the trial process no one is allowed to show excessive mercy and grant favor (to the accused) in violation of the law. At the same time, social or media pressure cannot lead to heavy or excessive penalties," said Xiao at an on-going national conference.

He urged people's courts at all levels to improve their capabilities of trying major criminal cases, saying that courts should be loyal to law, obey laws and realize the fairness and justness of law in their trial work, be good at analyzing and making judgment in line with law, accurately distinguish between guilt and innocent and differentiate different crimes.

Judgments should be made accurately following lawful procedures and sufficient evidence must be provided, so that every major criminal trial can stand the test of history and social judgment.

At the conference, Xiao also said people's 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.

He said people's courts, as an important anti-corruption power, should implement the principle that everyone is equal before the law.

Every defendant, no matter how high their rank should be punished according to law without favor, said Xiao.