Constitutional Court blocks Catalunya referendum
Tuesday, September 30, 2014 @ 1:11 PM
CATALUNYA'S planned independence vote has been blocked by Spain's Constitutional Court, which says it goes against the country's Magna Carta.
Regional president Artur Mas (pictured) approved a law reform allowing a non-binding public 'consultation' to go ahead on November 9 after the central government banned him from holding a referendum – but judges at the highest court in Spain unanimously agreed both the legislation and the voting were illegal.
The Constitutional Court has been working around the clock after a crisis meeting with Spanish president Mariano Rajoy and his Council of Ministers yesterday (Monday) took place and an appeal against Mas' move lodged before close of business.
According to a spokesman for the 12 magistrates at the court, they moved quickly because they were 'conscious of the constitutional and political transcendency' of the issue, 'for Spanish society as a whole' as well as for the people of Catalunya.
Catalunya's regional Parliament has been given a fortnight to attend the court in person and to file any appeal against the decision they wish to make in relation to the law reform allowing the public consultation on independence to go ahead, and three weeks to do the same with regard to the magistrates' having blocked the actual consultation.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com