Balasubramanian Menon as Senior Advocate: the Kerala High Court has honoured a lawyer who began practising in 1950, a few days before his 100th birthday on October 15.
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Kochi: A few days before his 100th birthday on October 15, veteran trial lawyer P Balasubramanian Menon, who holds the Guinness World Record as the longest-serving lawyer in the world, has been designated a Senior Advocate by the Kerala High Court [Designation of P Balasubramanian Menon as Senior Advocate].
The initiative came from Chief Justice Soumen Sen, and the designation was approved on Friday so as to coincide with Menon’s birthday. The exact date of the decision, the composition of the Full Court and the notification details are not stated.
Why this designation stands apart
It is believed to be the first time the Kerala High Court has conferred the title on a lawyer who has practised before the mofussil courts, as against the High Court bar.
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Seventy-six years at the Bar
Menon started practising in 1950. He first trained at the Madras High Court under Advocate General Kuttikrishnan Menon, then returned to Palakkad to work under the criminal lawyer KS Ramakrishna Iyer. Criminal cases were his early work, but an encounter with a judge during a case in Kochi led him to specialise in civil law, which became his main practice.
He entered the Guinness World Records in 2023 as the longest-serving lawyer in the world, with 73 years and 60 days of practice, and the record is still his. His practice now spans more than 76 years.
What the honour recognises
A High Court usually confers the Senior Advocate designation on lawyers recognised for their ability, standing at the Bar and special knowledge or experience in law. Here it goes to a trial lawyer whose practice has been rooted in the district courts, and it marks a career that began in 1950, before the Constitution came into force. The Kerala High Court has not stated the rule or procedure under which the designation was made, and those details are not available in the material at hand.
Subject: Designation of P Balasubramanian Menon as Senior Advocate
Authority: Kerala High Court (initiative of Chief Justice Soumen Sen)
Date: October 9, 2026 (Friday)
Appearances: not applicable