Ashcroft condemns "activist judges" News
Ashcroft condemns "activist judges"

[JURIST] Speaking to the Federalist Society annual national conference on Friday, US Attorney General John Ashcroft denounced a trend towards activist judges who are second-guessing presidential determinations. Ashcroft, in his first remarks since announcing his resignation earlier this week, stated that federal judges are jeopardizing national security by issuing rulings contradictory to President Bush's decisions regarding America's obligations under international treaties and agreements. AP has more. Earlier this year, a divided Supreme Court held that the president lacks the authority to hold "enemy combatant" terror suspects indefinitely and without access to lawyers; this week, a federal judge stopped proceedings for a trial before a US military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.