US Supreme Court Justice John Roberts stated that banning gun sales for individuals who pose a credible threat to an intimate partner aligns with the Second Amendment|Erin Edgerton|CC BY-NC 2.0

The US Supreme Court upheld an 8-1 decision yesterday maintaining a federal ban on gun possession for individuals under domestic violence restraining orders. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, with Justice Clarence Thomas dissenting.

Justice Roberts stated that banning individuals who pose a credible threat to an intimate partner from buying and owning firearms aligns with the Second Amendment and historical firearm laws.

The court case, US v. Rahimi, involved a challenge to a 1994 federal statute requiring domestic violence restraining orders (DVROs) to be reported to the national background check system. It served as a basis to deny a gun sale.

Since its inception, the law has blocked over 77,000 attempted firearm purchases by people under DVROs, says the FBI.