BEIJING -- The Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China has issued a directive on accelerating the application of the dispute resolution system at the grassroots level such as in villages and communities.

The SPC stressed that local disputes should be settled at the initial stage, according to the directive.

The directive requires courts at the primary level to play an active role in recognizing local disputes and utilizing the resources from the one-stop dispute resolution platform to facilitate dispute mediation at the grassroots level.

For people who have difficulties in using smart phones, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, assistance should be provided to ensure their rights to online mediation, said the directive.