The United States Supreme Court on Wednesday left in force a New York State law restricting the right to carry weapons in “sensitive places”, such as Times Square, or even schools, bars and hospitals.
This law had been adopted this summer by the authorities of the State and the City of New York, in reaction to a historic judgment on the carrying of weapons handed down in June by the conservative majority of the High Court (six justices out of nine ).
In this decision, she had invalidated a local law which since 1913 had limited the issuance of gun licenses to New Yorkers who could prove that they had a real need for protection.
In passing, she had enshrined the right of Americans to leave their homes armed, authorizing only “reasonable” exceptions respecting “the history and traditions of the United States”.
Eight days later, New York lawmakers had introduced this new law prohibiting the carrying of a concealed handgun in a whole series of places, including subways, stadiums, certain businesses…
The Gun Owners of America gun lobby and gun owners immediately took legal action.
In the fall, judges had blocked certain sections of the text, but a federal appeals court had ruled that they could remain in place until the substantive debate was concluded. Defenders of the right to bear arms then turned urgently to the Supreme Court.
In an unmotivated decision, a majority of its judges declined to intervene at this stage.
Two of them, the conservatives Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, made a point of stressing that this decision was simply intended to “respect” the Court of Appeal by giving it time to decide on the merits.
“Plaintiffs should not be discouraged by today’s decision” and will be able to appeal again to the Supreme Court if the Court of Appeal does not rule quickly, they added.