Specter calls for limits on asbestos lawsuits News
Specter calls for limits on asbestos lawsuits

[JURIST] Echoing comments made last week by President Bush [JURIST report], Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Arlen Specter [official website; R-PA] urged Congress Tuesday to put limits on asbestos liability lawsuits. Specter said asbestos lawsuits are causing companies to go bankrupt, leaving victims with little or no compensation. Proposed reforms include a multi-billion dollar compensation fund in exchange for a bar on individual asbestos litigation. The issue of asbestos lawsuits is sharply divided between labor and business. Specter stated that he plans to have a proposal ready to send to the Senate on Friday. Read the text of the proposed Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution (FAIR) Act of 2004. JURIST's Monitor provides recorded video of Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the legislation. AP 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.