The Catalan independence process was first ushered in by the adoption of a Parliamentary resolution in January 2013, asserting the right of self-determination of the Catalan nation. Ever since, the various attempts made by the Catalan authorities towards independence have met fierce resistance from the national authorities. In 2015 and in 2017, the Constitutional Court in Madrid quashed Catalan political declarations and budgetary provisions on the grounds that they were inconsistent with the sovereignty of Spain that reckons upon a single nation and with the primacy of the Spanish Constitution.

The events of 1 October 2017 must be understood in light of the political restraints stemming from the 1978 Constitution and the settled case law of the Spanish Constitutional court. Further, the referendum will give rise to complex EU legal questions, should it lead to secession by Catalunya (Catalonia). Professor de Sadeleer will shed light on the legal issues unfolding from the referendum.

This event is co-presented by the ANU Centre for European Studies, the ANU Centre for International and Public Law, and the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Business, Government and Law.

Professor de Sadeleer is a guest of the School of Law & Justice, University of Canberra, as part of its Distinguished International Visitor Program. He is Professor of EU Institutional Law and Comparative Law and holds the Jean Monnet Chair at the University Saint Louis, Brussels. He has been guest professor at Universidade da Coruña and Universidad del País Vasco.

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The ANU Centre for European Studies is an initiative involving six ANU Colleges (Arts & Social Sciences; Law; Business & Economics; Asia & the Pacific; Science; and Engineering & Computer Science) co-funded by ANU and the European Union. Visit: /centres/anu-centre-for-european-studies

The ANU Centre for International and Public Law seeks to enrich legal research into the relationship between governments, and between governments and their citizens from both domestic and international perspectives. Visit: https://law.anu.edu.au/research/cipl

The University of Canberra’s Faculty of Business, Government & Law consists of four Academic Schools, two integrated institutes, and a dedicated research centre. In addition it maintains a close relationship with several affiliate and cooperative entities. Visit: http://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/faculties/busgovlaw/about-us