US Supreme Court strikes down New York restriction on guns

The US Supreme Court has made its most impactful ruling on guns in more than a decade [File: Will Dunham/AP Photo]

The United States Supreme Court has deemed unconstitutional a decades-old New York state law that requires gun owners to show “proper cause” to carry a concealed handgun for self-defence in public.

The law had given local authorities discretion to decide who receives a licence to carry a concealed gun. The Supreme Court ruled in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v Bruen that the law violates the 14th amendment of the US Constitution, which says no state can “make or enforce” a law that overrides the “privileges or immunities” of citizens of the US.