China's Chief Justice Friday called on the nation's courts to balance the interests of workers and employers when handling cases against the backdrop of the financial crisis.

"Courts should take the particularity of crisis-induced cases into consideration while handling them according to the law, and do the best for win-win or multi-win solutions," said Wang Shengjun, president of the Supreme People's Court, at a national high court president meeting.

"Cases of defaulting salaries, medical care expenses and premiums and dissolving labor contracts in companies hit by the financial crisis should be properly handled to ensure people's basic survival needs," Wang said.

It was reported the number of legal dispute was increasing as the financial crisis battered the country's industrialized provinces and that some new types of cases had surfaced too.

The Supreme People's Court would study possible legal problems in the implementation of policies and measures and provide judicial advice on prevention and resolution, according to Wang.

Wang also stressed that courts should pay great attention to hearing cases involving food safety and production safety.

"Courts should also redouble efforts to provide legal aid to the aged, women, children, disabled people, laid-off workers and victims of natural disasters and criminal crimes," Wang said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2008)