The US Supreme Court has upheld a federal law that bans people with domestic violence restraining orders from owning guns.
The background: Conservative judges hold a 6-3 majority in the Supreme Court. The decision on Friday – upheld 8 to 1 – is the first to test gun laws since a major ruling in 2022 loosened restrictions.
The 2022 ruling said only "reasonable" exceptions could override the second amendment right to bear arms, and they must have a historical precedent.
In March, a New Orleans appeals court found a federal law banning guns for domestic abusers was unconstitutional – citing a lack of historical precedent.
But on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that preventing people who "pose a credible threat to the physical safety of another" has been part of firearms regulation since the nation’s founding.
It upheld the 1994 ban on firearms ownership for people who have restraining orders to stay away from spouses or partners.
The key quote: "As a result of today's ruling, survivors of domestic violence and their families will still be able to count on critical protections, just as they have for the past three decades." – US President Joe Biden.
What else to know: There are more firearms than people in the United States. The country’s Gun Violence Archive registered more than 40,000 deaths last year.
What happens next: President Biden has vowed to push Congress for tougher restrictions to counter “the epidemic of gun violence tearing our communities apart."
