Spain’s top court rules pandemic lockdown ‘unconstitutional’

Last year’s stay-at-home lockdown order by the government under a state of emergency was unconstitutional, Spain’s Constitutional Court has ruled on Wednesday.

The court ruling was in response to a suit filed by the far-right Vox party.

It was a split decision according to a brief statement issued by the court. State broadcaster TVE said  six magistrates voted in favour and five against.

According to the Spanish broadcaster, the ruling said that the limitations on movement violated citizens’ basic rights and therefore the state of emergency was insufficient to give them constitutional backing.

Spain’s government declared a state of emergency on March 14, 2020, ordering people to stay indoors and leave their homes only for basic shopping for several weeks.

An estimated 81,033 people have died from coronavirus in Spain.

As part of its vaccine roll-out, Spain ranks as the sixth-fastest in Europe in terms of doses administered. The country has given more than 25 million jabs and fully vaccinated just under 18 per cent of its population.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez said that the aim is to reaach 25 million by mid-July.