UK court allows extradition of British terror suspect to US News
UK court allows extradition of British terror suspect to US

[JURIST] A British judge ruled Tuesday that Babar Ahmad [advocacy website] can be extradited to face charges of supporting terrorism, conspiring to kill Americans and running a Web site that US authorities say was used to fund terrorists. The case has been heard under a "fast track" extradition procedure under the UK Extradition Act 2003 [text] that decreases the burden of proof on certain countries, including the United States. UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke [Wikipedia profile] now has 60 days to decide whether Ahmad will be extradited. The United States has assured presiding Judge Timothy Workman that, if Ahmad is extradited, he will not be sentenced to the death penalty or declared an enemy combatant. Ahamad's counsel, however, representing Ahmad, stated that extradition to the United States would deny Ahmad justice. AP has more; the BBC has local coverage.

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.