Britain offering compensation for damages from Basra prison raid News
Britain offering compensation for damages from Basra prison raid

[JURIST] British authorities in Iraq have said that the UK will pay compensation for damages and injuries caused when British troops stormed a Basra jail to free two detained British soldiers [JURIST report] last month. The soldiers, apparently undercover members of the SAS, had been accused of killing an Iraqi policeman, wounding another, and carrying false identification. The British military said it stormed the building after coming under attack by a crowd and because it feared for the lives of its agents. An Iraqi judge subsequently issued warrants [JURIST report] for the arrest of the soldiers who stormed the prison, but Britain failed to recognize the warrants, insisting that all British troops in Iraq are under British legal jurisdiction. CBC News 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.