Politically, Hardiman supported the liberal side in Ireland's debates over abortion, being active in the "anti-amendment" campaign during the 1982 Abortion Referendum and later represented the Well Woman Centre in the early 1990s [REF].
One commentator wrote that "Hardiman's greatest contribution ..was the steadfast defence of civil liberties and individual rights" and that "He was a champion of defendants' rights and a bulwark against any attempt by an Garda Síochána to abuse its powers" [REF].