Supreme Court's Decision on Gun Ban for Domestic Abusers Could Impact Survivors' Rights

The Supreme Court appears likely to uphold a federal ban on alleged domestic abusers possessing firearms, as several conservative justices signaled reluctance to adopt an extreme interpretation of the court's history-focused approach to gun-rights cases. Justices Gorsuch and Barrett did not seem troubled by the domestic-abuser restriction, while Kavanaugh raised concerns about the potential impact on the federal background-check system. The case tests how the court will apply a new approach for evaluating the constitutionality of gun restrictions, requiring investigation into analogous gun regulations in early American history. The government argued that Congress has the authority to disarm those who are not law-abiding responsible citizens, while the defense raised concerns about unfair procedures and deprivation of constitutional rights. Liberal justices questioned the wisdom of using history to assess modern gun restrictions and highlighted the relevance of bans on slaves owning guns.