98-year-old Palakkad lawyer sets Guinness record for longest practice

In 1947, he secured a law degree from the Madras Law College which was the only law college those days in Madras Presidency comprising TN, AP, a portion of Karnataka and the Malabar area of Kerala.

P B Menon with the certificate issued by the Guinness World Records

PALAKKAD: Having been practising with the Palakkad Bar Association for 73 years and 60 days, P B Menon, 98, has secured a place in the Guinness World Records for being the longest-serving practising lawyer in the world. He bettered the record set by Louis W Triay of Gibraltar, who had served for 70 years and 311 days.

Pachuveettil Balasubramania Menon alias P B Menon was born on October 15, 1926, at Pallasena in Palakkad district to Koman Nair and Kalyanikutty Amma. He grew up in Palakkad studying at the Municipal High School and the Government Victoria College. The Municipal High School was later renamed Government PMG High School.

After taking a degree from Victoria College in 1947, he secured a law degree from the Madras Law College which was the only law college those days in Madras Presidency comprising Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, a portion of Karnataka and the Malabar area of Kerala. As was the case then, Menon was enrolled before the Chief Justice of Madras High Court. He later worked as an apprentice under the then advocate general Kuttikrishna Menon. After two years of training at the Madras High Court, P B Menon returned to Palakkad. Honouring requests from his parents, he shifted his practice to Palakkad and worked under criminal lawyer K S Ramakrishna Iyer.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, P B Menon recounted the incident that transformed him into a civil lawyer. Ramakrishna Iyer once sent him to the sub-court in Cochin in connection with a criminal case. The case was won and an order to that effect was issued. While he was preparing to return, the elderly judge summoned Menon to his chamber. Menon recalled being afraid as he felt he was being called to be scolded. But the judge said, "Lawyer, you better deal with civil cases. I feel that will be a better area for you to excel."

For half an hour, the judge spoke as to what was a civil court and a trial court, and on the need to master various laws. Subsequently, Menon chose to be a civil lawyer.

"Every day, before beginning work, I remember the words of the old judge," Menon said.

Even now, he reaches the court at 10 am to argue on behalf of his clients. He said the gates of his house, Rose Land, in Puthur remain open so that junior lawyers could seek his advice. Having begun his law practice on July 18, 1950, he continues to note in his dairy the various judgements of the Supreme Court to adapt to the changing times.

He said he takes care not to ask any irrelevant questions while cross-questioning his opponents. Stating there was no big or small cases as far as he was concerned, he said all were "important". He attempts to fulfil the responsibility entrusted by his clients to the best of his ability, Menon said.

"When clients say 'you are a dependable lawyer, you give us honest opinions', my happiness knows no bounds. As long as I am healthy, I will appear on behalf of my clients," says on optimistic Menon.

He lives with his daughters Anu Jayakrishnan and Dr Subhadra Muralidharan and son-in-law Dr Muralidharan. His son, Dr Vijaysukumar, lives with his family in the United States.