The US Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution gives people the right to carry a gun outside of their home, in a major new ruling on gun rights.
The decision is expected to allow more people to legally carry guns in some of America’s largest cities – like LA, New York and Boston – and is the first major court decision on gun rights. for over a decade.
It comes as Congress is working to change gun laws following the shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were murdered.
Supreme Court justices have rejected a New York law – in effect since 1913 – that requires people to demonstrate a specific need to obtain a license to carry a concealed firearm in public.
They say it violates the Constitution’s Second Amendment right to “hold and bear arms”.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the decision “absolutely shocking” and said she was “sorry that this dark day has come.”
People can legally carry a gun in public in most of the United States, but it’s harder in some states. In New York, “good cause” must be shown when applying for such a permit.
California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland and Rhode Island have similar laws – now potentially challenged.
Supporters of the New York law have argued that a change would lead to more guns on the streets and violent crime. The Biden administration has also urged the court to uphold the status quo.
But their March 6 decision concluded that the Constitution protects “the right of an individual to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home”.
Justice Clarence Thomas, the author of the ruling, said the New York law “prevents law-abiding citizens with a common need for self-defense from exercising their right to keep and bear arms”.
He added: “We know of no other constitutional right that an individual can exercise only after proving
government officials some special needs. “
The Supreme Court made final judgments on gun rights in 2008 and 2010 when it found that the Second Amendment provided for the right to keep guns in the home.
