No Ban on Handguns in Chicago

The Supreme Court reversed a ruling upholding Chicago's ban on handguns Monday and extended the reach of the 2nd Amendment as a nationwide protection against laws that infringe on the "right to keep and bear arms."

The decision voided a 1982 ordinace act that barred the people of Chicago from keeping arms in their possession or even at home for personal use. The decision is likely to have a lot of impact on national and local levels.

Two years ago, the high court in a case from Washington, D.C. had said that the 2nd Amendment protects a person's rights to bear a gun in a state. Since the district is a federal city and not a state so it was not decided whether the 2nd Amendment could be used to challenge other municipal ordinances or state laws.

In Monday's decision, the court said the constitutional protection of the 2nd Amendment extends to city and state laws, not just federal measures.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the opinion for the Court. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas joined to form the majority.