Top Spanish court cancels Catalonia's independence declaration

Spain's Constitutional Court has blocked Catalonia's declaration of independence made by the regional parliament on Friday, a court spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The ruling Tuesday came after Catalan lawmakers opposed to the parliament vote launched an appeal to the court.

The vote, which was boycotted by opposition lawmakers, passed by 70 votes to 10 in the 135-seat Catalan parliament Friday.

Hours after Catalonia's parliament voted on a unilateral declaration of independence, the Spanish government dissolved the parliament, fired the government and set a date for regional elections Dec. 21.
"The court plenary has just provisionally suspended the independence declaration" while it examines an appeal by the Spanish government, a court source said, indicating the latest in a series of measures by Madrid to stifle the region's independence drive.

Spain's 1978 constitution says the country is "indissoluble." The top court has consistently ruled against any attempt to move toward Catalan secession.

Whereas the Supreme Court said Tuesday it had summoned Catalonia's former parliamentary speaker to appear for questioning this week to be charged over the region's independence drive.

Carme Forcadell and her parliamentary deputies have been summoned to appear in court on November 2 and 3.