1900 (in force 1901) · Constitutions

Commonwealth of Australia Constitution

Australia

The constitution that joined the six Australian colonies into a federation, passed as an Act of the British Parliament.

Why it matters

It combines the American federal model with the British system of responsible government, and it gave a High Court the power to settle disputes between the federal and state governments.

Built on

1787 (in force 1789)

Constitution of the United States

United States

took the federal structure, the Senate and the idea of a court that checks the division of powers

1848

Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848

Switzerland

borrowed the use of a referendum to change the constitution

Went on to shape

No later text on this timeline is recorded as built on it.

Countries in the Legal Families Atlas

Australia

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s timeline lists links of influence only where the borrowing is widely documented. Historians sometimes disagree about how much one text shaped another. It is an educational overview, not legal advice.