US Judge Cancels Federal Law Prohibiting Selling Pistols For Buyers Under The Age Of 21

Illustration. (Unsplash/stave woods)

JAKARTA - A federal judge in Virginia, United States has overturned a federal law banning the sale of pistols to buyers under the age of 21, ruling that the law violates constitutional rights to own firearms.

The decision, which is expected to be sued by the Justice Department, will not apply until Judge Robert Payne, of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, appointed by President George HW Bush, issues a final decision in the coming weeks.

The decision will not affect 19 other states, which have their own laws regarding the ban on selling pistols to anyone under the age of 21.

Payne's decision is a continuation of the significant expansion of the rights to possession of firearms by the Supreme Court last year, which the judge frequently referred to in his decision issued on Wednesday.

"Because the laws and regulations in question are inconsistent with the history and traditions of our nation, these laws and regulations cannot be maintained," Payne wrote in his decision.

Lawyers representing the Justice Department in this case did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile Elliott Harding, a lawyer for four original plaintiffs aged 18 to 20 and looking to buy a gun, said he was pleased with the decision.

"While this ensures that future buyers can now buy these firearms in a federal system, which includes background checks and other requirements, we expect the Defendant to appeal," Harding said.

"However, we remain optimistic that the decision will be confirmed in due course," he said.

It is known that the right to possession of firearms, which is upheld by many Americans and promised by state founders in the 18th century, is an issue debated in the country, while the rate of gun violence is relatively high, including a number of mass shootings.

There were at least 210 shooting cases in 2023, the highest number this year since at least 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as a shooting that causes four or more people to be injured or killed, excluding death.