I am sure that, like me, you have not only used the term ‘common sense’ yourselves, but have heard many people call for the use of ‘common sense’ when discussing certain topics. The question is, does saying some topic needs ‘common sense’ add anything to the discussion, or is it just one of those throw-away lines to which people resort when they have nothing further to offer on a subject?

Australia’s High Court has used the term over 1,400 times in its written judgments.