Saddam lawyer presses to move trial out of Iraq News
Saddam lawyer presses to move trial out of Iraq

[JURIST] Giovanni di Stefano [Wikipedia profile], a lawyer for Saddam Hussein, said once again [JURIST report] Monday that the insurgency in Iraq has created an unsafe environment for the trial of the former dictator and that the venue should be changed to a more stable country. Di Stefano argued that because some in Iraq feel strongly that Saddam should be executed while others are, as he put it, just as strongly calling for him to regain control of the country, "defense and prosecution would both be in danger there." Though di Stefano claims Saddam's defense team has made contact with the Swedish government about possibly holding the trial in Sweden, Swedish Ministry of Justice [official website] spokesman Alexander Valentin said that he was unaware of any official request. Raed Juhi, the tribunal's top investigating judge, said Sunday [JURIST report] that a trial date for Hussein would be set in the next few days. 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.