Spanish government asks constitutional court to declare Catalonia’s independence consultation illegal

Mariano Rajoy’s cabinet has agreed to appeal to the Constitutional Court to challenge the consultations law and the call for the 9-N vote. Both legal texts will be automatically and provisionally suspended without any need for justification when the appeal is admitted to proceedings at the court. In order to admit appeals made by the Spanish government, the twelve court magistrates must meet in a plenary session. The court will meet extraordinarily this afternoon.

The Spanish government cabinet met urgently this morning to challenge, on the basis of unconstitutionality, the law on consultations passed Friday 20 September by the Parliament of Catalonia and President Artur Mas’s decree signed last Saturday. This decision was long announced by several Spanish ministers.

In fact after the passing of the law on consultations in the Parliament of Catalonia, the government admitted a fast plan of action that would start up as soon as Artur Mas, the president of the Government of Catalonia, called the consultation.

The urgency of the decision is intended to prevent the Catalan institutions from having time to start up the machinery of the consultation and the pertinent campaign.


International coverage:

Spain government asks court to declare Catalonia vote illegal (Reuters)

Madrid décidé à bloquer le référendum d’indépendance en Catalogne (Les Echos)

Spain seeks court ban on Catalonia independence vote (BBC)

Spain to Challenge Catalonia Referendum Call (ABC News)

Spain government files appeal to top court over Catalonia referendum (Deutsche Welle)

Spain Asks Court to Block Independence Referendum in Catalonia (Wall Street Journal)