The First Fleet brought with it to Australia what is known as the Common Law.

          Common Law in its beginnings was derived from The Ten Commandments of early Biblical times.

          As the Australian colonies grew into sovereign self-governing States, each with its own Constitution and Parliament, they took what they wished of the English common law charters, most notably the famous Magna Carta of 1215 AD and the 1688 Bill of Rights.

          Here lie our most cherished individual rights, liberties and responsibilities, freely inherited form Britain, and maintained through our States following Federation in 1901.

          But to allow in a republic is normally to lose the people's common law heritage.

          With a new republic we would now have only civil law, i.e. government law -- What exists today the Government can change tomorrow.