UK AG details new FBI-style crime fighting agency News
UK AG details new FBI-style crime fighting agency

[JURIST] British Attorney General Lord Peter Goldsmith [Wikipedia profile] provided new details in a speech Tuesday on the creation of a proposed UK crime-fighting agency similar to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The new institution, to be called the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA), would combine the National Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, and Customs and Immigration Service. It would focus on prosecution of drug and human traffickers, major fraudsters, and pedophile rings, in addition to all types of organized crime including international terrorism. The implementation of SOCA will also include the codification of "Queen's evidence," a law that grants a reduced sentence to defendants who plead guilty and testify against other co-defendants. Review the Serious Organized Crime and Police Bill [PDF text]. In February last year the UK Home Office issued this press release on the initiative. UPI 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.