BEIJING - The vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Thursday urged courts to handle cases in strict accordance with the law and to treat cases involving government officials impartially.

The basic principle of "everyone is equal before the law" must be adhered to and courts must ensure balance for all parties, SPC Vice President Jiang Bixin said at a meeting on the courts' work.

Courts at all levels should make it easier for people to express demands and seek the protection of their rights, as well as make concrete efforts to solve problems related to suing officials and asking for government compensation, Jiang said.

Jiang said courts across the country accepted more than 785,000 administrative cases in the past five years, with 98 percent of the cases solved.

The courts also solved 90 percent of 9,162 cases concerning government compensation over the last five years.

Also on Thursday, Chief Justice Wang Shengjun issued certificates to 36 Grand Justices.

The government has conferred the title on 104 judges since 2002.