Spanish Constitutional Court suspends Catalan independence referendum

The Spanish Constitutional Court suspended the Catalan independence referendum and its legal framework on Thursday night as a precautionary measure. The Spanish government challenged legislation that will provide a legal base for the October 1 vote claiming it is illegal and unconstitutional.

The court accepted the four allegations presented by the Spanish government, thus automatically suspending the referendum and its legal framework as a temporary measure while it starts deliberations to reach a final verdict. The allegations include the referendum law, the decree calling the vote, the bill laying out the logistics and the article setting up the electoral board.