Career highlights of Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman

1974 - Called to the Bar.

1983 - One of the main spokesmen for the campaign against the anti-abortion amendment.

1985 - Ran for Fianna Fáil in the local elections in Dún Laoghaire and subsequently helped found the Progressive Democrats.

1989 - Became Senior Counsel in 1989.

1990s - Successfully represented the Well Woman Centre against the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child over the provision of information on abortion.

1991 - Represented Pat Rabbitte and Des O'Malley during the beef tribunal, where his cross-examination of then taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, was widely admired.

2000 - Appointed to the Supreme Court.

2003 - In Lobe v Minister for Justice, he was part of a Court that ruled the parents of Irish citizens could be deported.

2007 - In Shortt -v- The Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, he was part of a Court that more than doubled the damages granted to Frank Shortt, wrongfully imprisoned for over two years after two gardaí concocted evidence against him.

2011 - Publicly attacked tribunals of inquiry, describing their powers as "truly awesome", their expense "enormous" and the cost of participating in them "grotesque".

2015 - Dissented in ruling that removed bar on use of evidence obtained in breach of a constitutional rights, saying it gave gardaí "effective immunity from judicial oversight".