The Spanish Constitutional Court has suspended Wednesday the secessionist Catalan Parliament's resolution by accepting for consideration a suit appealing to its illegitimacy filed by the country's government earlier in the day.
Now the judges have five months to rule on the issue.
On November 9, the Parliament of Catalonia passed a resolution to begin the process of seceding from Spain. The initiative was backed by 72 out of 135 votes in parliament.
The secessionist motion in the Catalan parliament was facilitated by the victory of the pro-independence Catalan Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) coalition and their allies from the radical left-wing Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) in the regional election in September. The broad-coalition secured 72 seats in the 135-member regional parliament.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Madrid would use all political and legal means to prevent Catalonia from gaining independence.