Spain’s top court rules Cataluña referendum WAS illegal

SPAIN’S Constitutional Court has officially ruled that Cataluña’s independence referendum was illegal because a regional law that backed it was against the country’s constitution.

The Catalan regional parliament passed the so-called “self-determination referendum law” in early September.

Regional leaders then went on to stage the October 1 referendum on whether the region should separate from Spain.

They say the poll result gave the region a mandate to declare independence.

In its ruling on Tuesday, the court said the law was against national sovereignty and the “indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation”.

The court also said the parliamentary session that approved the law also violated the country’s constitution.

Spain’s national government has demanded that Cataluña’s regional leaders clarify a declaration of independence and renounce it.

The central government in Madrid has threatened to put the region under direct central rule if it does not receive an adequate response by Thursday morning.

But Catalan  government spokesman Jordi Turull said, “Giving in forms no part of this Government’s scenarios.”

“On Thursday, we won’t give anything different than what we gave on Monday.”