How has the Supreme Court interpreted the Second Amendment?
The Second Amendment of the US Constitution gives citizens the right to keep and bear arms. But what does that mean? The Supreme Court has made several decisions in the last 10 years that provide guidance about the Second Amendment. In the 2008 Heller decision, the Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment does give individuals the right to keep a gun, unconnected to service in a militia, for traditionally lawful purposes like self-defense in the home. In 2010, the Supreme Court held that this right is fully applicable to the states and it applies to the whole country. In subsequent decisions, the Supreme Court has clarified that the Second Amendment does not protect gun ownership in certain circumstances. For example, in 2017, the Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment does not protect the right to carry a handgun outside the home. It also held that laws prohibiting the ownership of firearms by felons or the mentally ill are permissible under the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court has also held that most laws regulating the sale and possession of firearms are constitutional and that the Second Amendment does not prevent states from passing reasonable laws to protect public safety. In sum, the Supreme Court has interpreted the Second Amendment to provide individuals the right to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes but allows some regulations on the sale and possession of firearms.
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