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US court to rule on key gun law US court overturns DC handgun ban
(about 5 hours later)
The US Supreme Court is expected to deliver a ruling shortly that could have a far-reaching effect on gun control laws in the United States. A ban on handguns in Washington DC has been ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court.
The nine justices have been considering whether a 32-year-old ban on handguns in Washington DC is unconstitutional. In a 5-4 decision, the justices upheld a lower court ruling striking down the ban. They said individuals had a right to keep handguns for lawful purposes.
It is the first time in nearly 70 years that Americans' right to keep and bear arms, set out in the US Constitution, has been considered by the court. It is the first such case considered by the court in decades and is expected to have effects on gun laws across the US.
Debate over the exact meaning of the constitution has raged for years. Debate over the exact meaning of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms has raged for years.
Authorities in Washington DC, which has some of the toughest gun control laws in the US, are challenging an appeal court's ruling that the ban on handguns is unconstitutional. The latest ruling says that the constitution "protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home".
Since 1976, the private possession of handguns has been prohibited in the nation's capital, while rifles or shotguns are required to be locked or dismantled. The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says the ruling is of profound importance, as it enshrines for the first time the individual right to own guns and limits efforts to reduce their role in American life.
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. Second Amendment of the US Constitution Q&A: Washington's gun laws 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 Second Amendment to the US Constitution Q&A: Washington DC gun laws class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/justinwebb/2008/06/gun_crazy.html">Webb blog: Gun crazy?
DC city council argues that the ban is needed to help keep violence and murder rates down. Since 1976, the private possession of handguns had been prohibited in the nation's capital, while rifles and shotguns had been required to be locked away or dismantled.
But the ban was challenged by a security guard, Dick Heller, who argued that if he was allowed to have a handgun at work, he also had a constitutional right to have one at home for self-defence. The DC city council argued that the ban was needed to help keep violence and murder rates down.
In March last year, a federal appeals court agreed with Mr Heller that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms and that the DC ban was unconstitutional. But the measure was challenged by a security guard, Dick Heller.
He argued that if he was allowed to have a handgun at work, he also had a constitutional right to have one at home.
Friends of the court
In March last year, a federal appeals court agreed with Mr Heller that the Second Amendment protected an individual's right to keep and bear arms and that the DC ban was unconstitutional.
The city appealed against that ruling, with the case going to the Supreme Court.The city appealed against that ruling, with the case going to the Supreme Court.
Opinions
The justices could now issue a landmark interpretation of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.
The debate is centred on whether the Second Amendment, ratified in 1791, protects an individual's right to possess guns, or simply a collective right for an armed militia.The debate is centred on whether the Second Amendment, ratified in 1791, protects an individual's right to possess guns, or simply a collective right for an armed militia.
The case has been closely watched, with dozens of outside groups filing opinions, known as "friends of the court" briefs, setting out their arguments for or against the DC ban.The case has been closely watched, with dozens of outside groups filing opinions, known as "friends of the court" briefs, setting out their arguments for or against the DC ban.
If the court upholds the federal appeals court's ruling, that could spark challenges to gun control laws in other parts of the US, experts say. The Supreme Court's ruling could spark challenges to gun control laws in other parts of the US, experts say.
The justices' wording in their ruling will also be closely scrutinised to see if they set out what they consider to be reasonable regulation of the possession of firearms.
Surveys estimate that there are 90 guns for every 100 citizens in the US, making the country one of the most heavily-armed nations in the world.
However, there are people who own more than one gun and many Americans do not possess firearms.