[JURIST] The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) [advocacy website] on Tuesday filed a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] challenging the District of Columbia’s right to deny concealed carry permits to individuals for failure to show good cause. The complaint names the city and Cathy Lanier, Police Chief of the DC Metropolitan Police Department, as defendants against charges of violating the Second Amendment [text] right to keep and bear arms. SAF brought the action on behalf of three individuals who were denied carry permits by the police chief. The basis of the claim asserts that it is unconstitutional to require a citizen to show good cause to exercise a constitutional right.

The debate over gun concealment and carry rights [JURIST feature] is controversial in the US. DC enacted strict concealed carry laws following a court decision in July overturning the city’s gun laws [JURIST report]. Last year Kansas enacted [NYT report] a law to allow people with concealed firearms to bring their weapons into public buildings. In March Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed [JURIST report] HB 1048 [legislative materials] into law, allowing adults to carry a concealed weapon locked in vehicles on school property. In October 2013 California Governor Jerry Brown signed [JURIST report] 11 out of 17 gun control bills that reached his office. Also that October a federal judge rejected [JURIST report] constitutional challenges against a new Maryland firearm law that limits certain assault weapons, and requires safety training and fingerprinting for potential buyers.