Kurdish leaders say no immediate plan to secede from Iraq News
Kurdish leaders say no immediate plan to secede from Iraq

[JURIST] Kurdish leaders insisted Tuesday that they do not plan to secede from Iraq even though they want the new Iraqi constitution [JURIST news archive] to provide the group the right to self-determination in order to protect themselves from potential future problems. The issues of self-determination, the role of Islam, federalism and the use of oil and other natural resources are among the unresolved issues [JURIST report] that prevented Iraq's constitutional committee [official website] from reaching an agreement before the August 15 deadline and the subsequent one-week extension [JURIST report] of the deadline. If an agreement on the constitution is reached by August 22, Iraqis will vote in mid-October to accept or reject the charter; this will lead to December elections for the first fully constitutional government since regime of Saddam Hussein [JURIST new archive] was overthrown in 2003. 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.