China's chief justice Sunday urged the people's courts all over the country to attach great importance to the trial of major and serious criminal cases and timely handle them in strict accordance with the law.

Wang Shengjun, president of the Supreme People's Court, made the remark while attending a national workshop on hearing major and serious criminal cases held in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.

Wang urged courts at various levels to be fully prepared for handling major and serious criminal cases, which is a heavy task at present and will be so in a certain period of time in the future.

Courts at all levels shall timely investigate and conclude major and serious criminal cases in accordance with the law to serve goals of safeguarding national security and social stability, Wang said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2009)