Crisis no excuse to break laws

Some officials are using the global financial crisis as an excuse to bend the rules, the Supreme People's Court said.

Courts were reminded on Monday to punish officials found guilty of misconduct after it was revealed that 100,000 administrative cases had gone to trial last year.

Zhao Daguang, chief justice of the SPC's administrative trials tribunal, said the global financial crisis had led to an increase in disputes between citizens and government officials.