Supreme Court and Guns

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Wednesday it would decide whether the constitutional right of individuals to own guns takes precedence over state and local laws, reviving the legal battle over gun rights in America.
The nation's high court agreed to decide the reach of its landmark ruling last year that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteed an individual right to own guns and use them for lawful purposes like self-defense in the home.

Gun rights cases have been among the most divisive social, political and legal issues to reach the Supreme Court.

Last year's ruling prohibited the federal government from imposing certain restrictions, but it left unclear whether the right also applied to state and local gun control laws.

The Supreme Court said in a brief order that it would decide that question in a dispute over a strict gun control law in Chicago.

It immediately became one of the most important issues to be decided during the court's new term that begins next week. Gun rights cases have been among the most divisive social, political and legal issues to reach the Supreme Court.

The justices are expected to hear arguments in the gun rights battle early next year, with a decision likely by late June.