But as Australia prepares for other big, and inevitably bitter, debates on things such as same-sex marriage, it was also a reminder; of how hugely divisive fights over fundamental legal equalities can be so quickly forgotten and how important it is to remember the inequalities that made them necessary in the first place.
Welcoming the UK's declaration, the human rights organisation Liberty, which has supported Janet Alder, said: "The government's unprecedented apology and admission of blatant violations of fundamental human rights are hugely significant and certainly not before time.
At that fairly fundamental threshold, Glass became hugely frustrating.
"Concerns regarding interest rates in this sector are hugely overwhelmed by very strong business fundamentals," said Cripps.
"The mainstream Internet user is hugely aware of the fact that the fundamental economic model on the Internet is advertising," he said.
It is all a far cry from their 1997 manifesto pledge: "Our fundamental purpose is simple but hugely important: to restore the NHS as a public service working cooperatively for patients not a commercial business driven by competition".
(Of course, as Judge Walker's opinion eloquently demonstrates, the right to use the word "marriage" is a hugely significant one, and denying it does fundamental harm to gay couples).
Not only are they hugely premature but also highlight one of the fundamental problems with the national team: turning the hype-o-meter up will not improve England's slim chances in Brazil.
But everybody also knows that economic fundamentals and share prices can diverge hugely for long periods.
The risk is that, in the growing confusion and interference, we lose all perspective on what constitutes a fundamental human right, trivialising what is a hugely important issue.
