As reported back in March (see U.S. Supreme Court Examines Constitution’s Second Amendment, Right to Bear Arms), there has been much anticipation since last year over the U.S. Supreme Court’s examination of the Second Amendment to the Constitution – the “right to bear arms”. The case stems from a challenge to the constitutionality of the handgun ban in Washington D.C.
Today the court ruled following a 5-4 vote to strike down the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns. This is the first Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment, and it is expected to have further consequences on handgun restrictions in other cities like Chicago and San Francisco, with the National Rifle Association (NRA) having already initiated new lawsuits following today’s decision.
This case marks the first time the Supreme Court has interpreted the Second Amendment since its ratification in 1791. The amendment reads: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the majority that the right of an individual to bear arms is supported by “the historical narrative” and that the Constitution does not permit “the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home.”
This decision seems to indicate that the United States is trending toward expanding the rights of citizens to own firearms, which is in contrast to recent developments in the U.K. which is trending toward greater restrictions (see “Deactivated Firearms & UK Restrictions – Update“, “More Potential Restrictions in the UK – Deactivated Firearms May Be Banned“, “Research & Dialogue About Importing Firearms to the UK: Update“, “Research & Dialogue About Importing Firearms to the UK“).
Jason De Bord