Updated

The Spanish government is holding a special Cabinet meeting to announce a top court challenge against the Catalan regional parliament's decision to launch an independence process.

The Cabinet is expected to file the challenge Wednesday before the Constitutional Court and call on the tribunal to suspend the Catalan parliament's decision while it is being studied. It also wants it to warn Catalan officials against taking any further steps in the secession process.

The secession resolution approved Monday in the Barcelona-based regional parliament gives the economically powerful region's incoming government a month to start working on a new Catalan constitution, to be voted on next year, and begin establishing tax-collecting and social security systems.

It also exempts the regional administration from having to heed Spanish institutions, including the Constitutional Court.