BEIJING - Chinese legal authorities have ordered prosecutors to explain the handling of influential or controversial cases to stakeholders and the public as part of a legal education drive.

According to a statement released Monday by the Supreme People's Procuratorate, cases likely to trigger petitions or protests should be explained by prosecutors to "defuse social conflict and improve harmony and stability."

Other cases that must be carefully explained include those that "safeguard the authority of the Constitution and law and carry forward social justice, cases closely linked to people's interests, and cases serving as a warning to the public as well as government officials."

Prosecutors can explain the law to litigants in written or oral forms, it said, adding they should also organize to speak to the public in communities, schools and enterprises and through social media.

"They should accurately clarify major facts concerning the case and thoroughly explain the law and policies used in dealing with the case," it said, stressing that prosecutors must not leak national and commercial secrets or other information classified as confidential.