The Constitutional Court has rejected the arguments presented by Carles Puigdemont and Junts per Catalunya deputies against the precautionary measures obliging the suspension of the investiture debate if the president didn't appear in person in the Parliament.
The judges say that the measures they agreed on Saturday don't "violate the principle of parliamentary autonomy; nor do they cause defencelessness for the JuntsxCat deputies, their right to defence has remained duly preserved by accepting that they can attend proceedings in person".
The court session was convened yesterday for 1pm today. Following this, the Parliament's speaker, Roger Torrent, has decided to postpone the debate in the Parliament while waiting for the courts' verdicts and to allow him to guarantee the rights and security of the deputies.
The court was in session for an hour and a quarter and its decision was unanimous. Of the 12 judges on the court only 11 attended, Andrés Ollero having been absent since Saturday.
The Constitutional Court thereby maintained the measures forcing Puigdemont to ask for authorisation from the Supreme Court to attend the Parliament, forcing Torrent to suspend the debate in Puigdemont's absence and keeping the Parliament's resolutions for the investiture suspended.
The Court argues that "no one can ask for the precautionary suspension of a Constitutional Court decision" because the "claim" from Puigdemont and JuntsxCat "is baseless because the court has acted following the exercising of its competences".
They say that "the power that article 161.2 of the Constitution attributes to the government to obtain the suspension of the resolutions and rulings of the Autonomous Communities that they appeal must be respected". They also remind of "the duty of all public powers, including the parliamentary chambers, to comply with the Court's statements".