US Supreme Court upholds ban on domestic abusers owning guns

Biden welcomes court’s decision, vows to push for tougher curbs

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WASHINGTON - The United States Supreme Court on June 21 upheld a federal law prohibiting domestic abusers from possessing a firearm, the latest legal ruling in the country's fierce battle over gun rights.

It was the first gun case to come before the court - where conservatives hold a 6-3 majority - since a major decision issued in 2022 loosening gun restrictions.

"When an individual has been found by a court to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of another, that individual may be temporarily disarmed consistent with the Second Amendment," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the 8-1 opinion.

"Since the founding, the nation's firearm laws have included regulations to stop individuals who threaten physical harm to others from misusing firearms. As applied to the facts of this case, (the law) fits comfortably within this tradition," he said.

Gun violence is common in the United States, where there are more firearms than people, and the Gun Violence Archive registered more than 40,000 deaths in 2023.

Attempts to clamp down on gun rights are always met with stiff political resistance.