BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Communist Party of China on Wednesday urged relevant departments to clear up long-delayed court verdicts to maintain social stability in face of the global financial crisis.

    "To execute the verdicts is in urgent demand for tackling the global financial crisis and to boost economic development," said Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at a tele-conference.

    It will also help ease social conflicts and maintain social stability, Zhou said.

    If cases were delayed because the verdicts were not appropriate, they should be corrected first, he noted.

    Officials found to be corrupt will be severely punished, he said.

    China started an eight-month campaign Wednesday to clear up a backlog of court verdicts, according to Wang Shengjun, President of China's Supreme People's Court.

Special Report: Global Financial Crisis