A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction [opinion, PDF] on Tuesday that halted the enforcement of a provision of Washington, DC’s strict gun laws. Judge Richard Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia [official website] stated that “the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table” and that the district’s attempt to limit the right to carry a firearm is the type of policy that the Supreme Court [official website] had in mind in its landmark decision in District of Columbia v. Heller [opinion, PDF], where it struck down [JURIST report] DC’s gun ban. Leon found [WP report] that the law violates the “core right to self-defense” granted within the Second Amendment. City officials claim the provision and law are necessary to limit crime and violence within the District. This ruling is at odds with an earlier ruling [WP report] from Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who sided with the city. Opponents of the law have objected to the provision that requires people who wish to carry within the district to show a “good reason to fear injury” or another “proper reason” to carry. The decision means that the District can no longer deny concealed-carry permits to residents who fail to show a good reason for needing a gun but otherwise qualify.

Gun control [JURIST backgrounder] and the Second Amendment continue to be controversial topics across the US. Earlier this month Missouri legislators passed a bill [JURIST report] allowing all state citizens to carry concealed guns without permits or completed gun training. In March Idaho’s governor signed a bill [JURIST report] making it legal for Idaho residents to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. In February the US Supreme Court heard arguments [JURIST report] in a case addressing firearm possession for people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors. In January US President Barack Obama announced executive actions on gun control [JURIST report].