The US Supreme Court has ruled that individual Americans have the right to own guns for personal use.
The 5-4 ruling marked the first time in nearly 70 years that the high court has addressed whether the Second Amendment of the US Constitution protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, rather than a right tied to service in a state militia.
The ruling centres on the right to own handguns in Washington, DC, where residents have been banned from owning them for 32 years.
This was challenged by local security guard Dick Heller, who proposed that if he was legally permitted to possess a handgun at work, he should also be allowed to do so at home.
The Supreme Court today ruled that the Washington, DC ban was unconstitutional.
It is a victory for gun rights advocates and could have a far reaching impact on gun control legislation across the country.
