Law on the Referendum on Self-determination of Catalonia
The Law on the Referendum on Self-determination of Catalonia, is the name of a Catalan law that governs the holding of the Catalan independence referendum of October 1, 2017, a binding self-determination referendum on the independence of Catalonia.
On September 6, 2017, after more than 12 hours of heated debate, the Parliament of Catalonia passed the law with 72 votes in favor from the pro-independence ruling coalition JxSí and CUP-CC; the opposition party CSQP abstained and other 52 opposition parliamentarians left the chamber before the votes were cast. Even though the laws were public weeks before, the vote didn't appear on the day's agenda until the very last minute to avoid the Spanish Constitutional Court banning it. Some opposition parties accused the regional body's top speaker, Carme Forcadell, of fast-tracking the law through parliament by altering the day's agenda to introduce the issue, not allowing them to appeal the law before being put up to vote. Members from JxSí acknowledged it was not their preferred method, but justified it in that it was the only way to get the bill on the floor without being blocked and that it was not "any ordinary law". Some months later the Spanish Constitutional Court endorsed the reform of the Parliament regulation that allowed passing the law.
It was suspended on September 7 by the Constitutional Court after accepting an appeal from the Spanish government.
