British doctors seek clarification of right-to-life ruling News
British doctors seek clarification of right-to-life ruling

[JURIST] Britain's General Medical Council [official website], the body that registers and regulates British doctors, went to court Monday [official statement] to clarify a 2004 ruling on a patient's right to treatment. Leslie Burke [advocacy website], who suffers from a degenerative brain disorder, obtained [BBC report] a July court order [PDF file] stating that if patients such as himself are no longer able to communicate their wishes, doctors must judge what the patient would want. The GMC objects [reasons for appeal] not to Burke's case specifically, but rather to implications of the order, which they say could force doctors to provide care which may serve no benefit or even harm a patient. Bloomberg 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.