The federal government can continue to limit domestic abusers gun rights, according to a landmark ruling issued by the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday that helps clarify the conservative-majority courts thinking on firearm restrictions.

In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court affirmed that the federal government can temporarily restrict a persons right to possess firearms without violating the Second Amendment. Only Justice Clarence Thomas dissented.

Our tradition of firearm regulation allows the Government to disarm individuals who present a credible threat to the physical safety of others, Justice John Roberts wrote in the majoritys ruling.

The case of United States v. Rahimi emerged as a high-profile test of how far the Supreme Court was willing to go in expanding gun rights after its sweeping reinterpretation of the Second Amendment two years ago directed courts to stop considering public safety when assessing the constitutionality of firearm restrictions.

Under the Supreme Courts new doctrine, gun restrictions are only constitutional when they fit within a centuries-old historical tradition of firearm regulation. Public defenders representing Rahimi had argued that the United States did not develop a legal tradition of disarming people for domestic abuse until the 20th century.