Supreme Court Leaves Intact Ban on High-Capacity Gun Magazines
(Bloomberg) -- The US Supreme Court turned away a fresh gun-rights appeal, refusing to question the District of Columbia's ban on large-capacity ammunition-feeding devices.
The justices on Friday rejected arguments from four firearms owners who said the ban violates the gun-rights protections in the Constitution's Second Amendment.
On June 2, the high court rejected a similar appeal in a Rhode Island case along with a challenge to a Maryland ban on so-called assault weapons. In each case, the court fell one vote short of the four required to take up a new case.
In addition to DC, 14 states outlaw high-capacity ammunition-feeding devices, according to Giffords Law Center, an interest group that supports gun restrictions.
The DC law makes it a felony to possess gun magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds. It was enacted in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's landmark 2008 decision striking down the district's handgun ban and for the first time saying the Constitution protects individual gun rights.
A federal trial judge and then an appeals court upheld the DC restrictions.
Gun-rights advocates who sued to block the DC measure sought to extend the 2022 Supreme Court decision that declared a constitutional right to carry a firearm and established a tough new test for assessing restrictions.
The challengers said Americans possess hundreds of millions of large-capacity magazines, many of them for self-defense purposes. Supporters of the bans say the devices have been repeatedly used in mass shootings.
The law was backed at the lower court level by Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy group founded and backed by Michael Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent company Bloomberg LP.
The case is Hanson v. District of Columbia, 24-936.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
30 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
PIL in Supreme Court challenges de facto ban on screening of Kamal Haasan's 'Thug Life' in Karnataka
The PIL by M Mahesh Reddy from Bengaluru filed through advocate A Valan sought a declaration that such a ban was illegal, unconstitutional, and void ab initio, being violative of Articles 14, 19(1)(a), 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Officials must treat transgender persons with respect, says Udupi DC
Udupi: Deputy commissioner Vidya Kumari K stressed that officials must treat transgender persons with dignity and respect when they visit govt offices and ensure their work is carried out as per the rules. At an awareness workshop on transgender rights held at the deputy commissioner's office in Rajathadri, she said, "Everyone is equal before the law. The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on caste, community, or gender. Any disrespectful behaviour towards transgender persons by govt staff will invite legal action." The DC noted that the govt has introduced various schemes and welfare programmes for the upliftment of the transgender community. She said awareness must be created about these schemes so that transgender persons can benefit from them. "They are also eligible for guarantee schemes. They must be ensured access to benefits such as housing and employment," she added. Zilla panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal said that transgender individuals can avail themselves of income-generating opportunities through the National Rural Livelihood Mission. "If they form self-help groups, they can receive skill training and financial assistance for self-employment," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo If transgender persons apply for housing or sites at the gram panchayats, they will be given priority. Those with the required qualifications will be considered for employment in govt outsourcing agencies, he added. Akkai Padmashali, activist and founder of Ondede, said that achievement has no gender. "India's legal system upholds the rights of the transgender community and supports their right to live independently. They should be given opportunities to become educated and attain high positions," she said. Further, she said, "When someone is born male but grows into a woman, the transgender community is forced to face many challenges. Society must accept us as women and create opportunities for us to live with dignity and become part of the mainstream." During the interaction, several transgender individuals shared their concerns. They said that as they enter adolescence, they are often forced to leave their families and move to other cities. "We struggle to find housing. Even if we are educated, we hardly get jobs, forcing us into begging. We urge that opportunities be created for us in terms of jobs and housing," they appealed.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Assam to use 75-yr-old law to push back illegal migrants
Guwahati: Assam govt is preparing to use a 75-year-old previously overlooked law to pushback illegal migrants from the state without any judicial intervention immediately after their identification. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court , while hearing a case on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act (October, 2024), had said there is no legal requirement for the Assam govt to always approach the judiciary to identify foreigners and "we are examining this". "There is an old law called the Immigrants Expulsion Order (1950), and during hearing on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court said this Act is still valid. Under its provisions, even a district commissioner can issue an order for immediate pushback of illegal immigrants," he added. "For whatever reason, our lawyers had not informed us about this, and we weren't aware of it either," Himanta added. He said in the past few days, the entire matter has come to light and the state govt will now discuss it seriously. "The process of identifying foreigners, which had paused due to NRC-related matters, will now be sped up a bit. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo This time, if someone is identified as a foreigner and we don't send them to a tribunal. We will straightway push them back. Preparations for this have been ongoing over the last few days," he said. He underlined that those who have moved courts will not be pushed back for now. The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 (IEAA) empowers the central govt to order expulsion of any person or class of persons who have come into Assam from outside India, either before or after the commencement of this Act, and whose stay in Assam is detrimental to the interests of the general public of India or any Scheduled Tribe in Assam. Sarma was referring to the five-member Constitution Bench headed by then chief justice DY Chandrachud on October 17, 2024 which upheld the validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act in a 4:1 majority with Justice JB Pardiwala giving the sole dissenting opinion. Justices Surya Kant, MM Sundresh and Manoj Misra in their joint order said the provisions of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 "shall be effectively employed for the purpose of identification of illegal immigrants." They noted that the IEAA grants "Central Government the power to direct the removal of immigrants who are detrimental to the interests of India." "If there is any other piece of legislation such as the IEAA, under which the status of an immigrant can be determined, we see no reason as to why such statutory detection shall also not be given effect to, for the purposes of deportation. We thus hold that the provisions of IEAA shall also be read into Section 6A and be applied along with the Foreigners Act, 1946 for the purpose of detection and deportation of foreigners," the judges noted in their order. WHAT IS IEAA Enacted even before the immigrants from West and East Pakistan were considered foreigners under Foreigners Act The Statement of Objects and Reasons states the Act was enacted to deal with the large scale immigration of migrants from East Bengal to Assam Other statutory enactments to address the influx of immigrants in Assam Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Passport Act, 1967. Guwahati: Assam govt is preparing to use a 75-year-old previously overlooked law to pushback illegal migrants from the state without any judicial intervention immediately after their identification. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, while hearing a case on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act (October, 2024), had said there is no legal requirement for the Assam govt to always approach the judiciary to identify foreigners and "we are examining this". "There is an old law called the Immigrants Expulsion Order (1950), and during hearing on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court said this Act is still valid. Under its provisions, even a district commissioner can issue an order for immediate pushback of illegal immigrants," he added. "For whatever reason, our lawyers had not informed us about this, and we weren't aware of it either," Himanta added. He said in the past few days, the entire matter has come to light and the state govt will now discuss it seriously. "The process of identifying foreigners, which had paused due to NRC-related matters, will now be sped up a bit. This time, if someone is identified as a foreigner and we don't send them to a tribunal. We will straightway push them back. Preparations for this have been ongoing over the last few days," he said. He underlined that those who have moved courts will not be pushed back for now. The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 (IEAA) empowers the central govt to order expulsion of any person or class of persons who have come into Assam from outside India, either before or after the commencement of this Act, and whose stay in Assam is detrimental to the interests of the general public of India or any Scheduled Tribe in Assam. Sarma was referring to the five-member Constitution Bench headed by then chief justice DY Chandrachud on October 17, 2024 which upheld the validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act in a 4:1 majority with Justice JB Pardiwala giving the sole dissenting opinion. Justices Surya Kant, MM Sundresh and Manoj Misra in their joint order said the provisions of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 "shall be effectively employed for the purpose of identification of illegal immigrants." They noted that the IEAA grants "Central Government the power to direct the removal of immigrants who are detrimental to the interests of India." "If there is any other piece of legislation such as the IEAA, under which the status of an immigrant can be determined, we see no reason as to why such statutory detection shall also not be given effect to, for the purposes of deportation. We thus hold that the provisions of IEAA shall also be read into Section 6A and be applied along with the Foreigners Act, 1946 for the purpose of detection and deportation of foreigners," the judges noted in their order. WHAT IS IEAA Enacted even before the immigrants from West and East Pakistan were considered foreigners under Foreigners Act The Statement of Objects and Reasons states the Act was enacted to deal with the large scale immigration of migrants from East Bengal to Assam Other statutory enactments to address the influx of immigrants in Assam Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Passport Act, 1967.
