Putin puts Russian prisons under Justice Ministry in rights reform News
Putin puts Russian prisons under Justice Ministry in rights reform

[JURIST] Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website] Wednesday signed a decree [press release] handing control of the country's prisons over to the Russian Ministry of Justice [official website, in Russian]. The move comes in response to pressure from the Council of Europe [official website], which made such prison reforms a condition of Russian membership [COE membership resolution] in the group in 1996. The country's security services [FSB Wikipedia backgrounder; official website, in Russian] previously ran the prisons. 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.