Federal court dismisses Gitmo prisoners’ claims of habeas News
Federal court dismisses Gitmo prisoners’ claims of habeas

[JURIST] US District Judge Richard Leon [official profile] Wednesday dismissed the claims of seven Guantanamo Bay prisoners who had contested the fairness of their continued detention. Judge Leon said in his opinion [PDF]: "To the extent that these non-resident detainees have rights, they are subject to both the military review process already in place and the laws Congress has passed defining the appropriate scope of military conduct towards the detainees." He indicated that any extension or modification of the detainees rights should be done by the political branches. In addition, the opinion stated foreign nationals captured and detained by US forces outside the US have no constitutional rights. The US DC District Court is still deciding whether similar claims by 10 other Gitmo detainees can be heard. Reuters has more.

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.