The verdict and sentences from Spain's Supreme Court in the Catalan independence trial are on the point of being released. The magistrates of the court's second chamber met this Monday to discuss the final details. Sources say it's "one of the many deliberations" they've held and will hold, and that under discussion were the key topics: the verdicts and the sentences they will impose. Once that's agreed, all that will be left to do is to set the date they will publish the most hotly-awaited legal decision in Spain for years. Currently, they're reportedly leaning towards sedition rather than rebellion, but nothing is finalised.
Presiding judge Manuel Marchena has already prepared a draft of the ruling over the last few weeks, Catalan public broadcaster TV3 reported this Sunday. According to court sources, deliberations have been "constant" during the whole process, the objective being to reach a unanimous decision. The alternative, a split court, could affect the image of the court and a sentence with such legal and political importance.
The meeting started this Monday and there is no clarity over how long it will last for. That will depend on how long it takes the judges to reach an agreement. The intention, however, is to finish everything this Tuesday. Once they've agreed on the verdicts and sentences, they can decide on a publication date and summons the defence to Madrid.
The calendar is complex, but the expected date for the announcement of the verdicts and sentences hasn't changed. Currently, most bets are on Thursday 10th, Friday 11th or Monday 14th of this month. There are few other choices: on the 14th, there's a hearing in Luxembourg about Junqeuras' MEP immunity; the 15th is the anniversary of the execution of former Catalan president Lluís Companys by Franco's regime; and the 16th is the day the provisional detention of Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez will automatically expire unless it's explicitly extended. On the horizon, there's also the re-run Spanish general election on 10th November, in which Catalonia is expected to be a key issue.