Spain´s top court cancels bullfighting ban in Catalonia

MADRID: Spain´s Constitutional Court on Thursday cancelled a bullfighting ban in Catalonia in what is likely to exacerbate tensions between Madrid and the separatist region, and drew an outcry from animal activists.

The decision represents a significant victory for supporters of the centuries-old tradition who have long sparred with animal rights organisations that believe bullfighting is a cruel, anachronistic event.

In a statement, the court argued bullfighting was classified as part of Spain´s heritage, and therefore a decision on banning it was a matter for the central government and not for semi-autonomous regions.

The ban has been declared "unconstitutional and void," it said.

Catalonia´s regional parliament voted to abolish bullfighting from January 1, 2012 after animal rights groups managed to garner 180,000 signatures for a petition.

It was the first region in mainland Spain to ban the tradition, although the Canary Islands abolished bullfighting in 1991.