DESPITE achieving success as a criminal lawyer after he was called to the Bar in 1965, Mr V. Ramakrishnan decided enough is enough as his job was exacting too much of a toll on him.

He switched to handling only civil matters and as a member of the panel of solicitors with the Legal Aid Bureau, he also devoted himself to acting for clients who qualified for legal aid for their civil suits.

These lawyers receive only half of the fees awarded by the court if they win the suits but that did not stop Mr Ramakrishnan from accepting more than 100 such cases in the 40 years he has been involved with the Legal Aid Bureau.

For his contributions, the 77-year-old will receive the Public Service Medal on Monday evening from President S.R. Nathan at this year's National Day investituture.

It is an award he might not have earned if he had stayed on as a criminal lawyer.

Strangely, it was not failure that made him change his mind.

In February 1970, he got 19-year-old Lim Swee Guan acquitted of shooting at a police officer. The teenaged gunman could have been jailed for life or hanged if convicted.

Mr Ramakrishnan convinced the High Court that Lim had no intention to fire the gun. The weapon had gone off when the police officer grabbed Lim's right arm. No one was hurt.

Lim did not get off scot-free. He was jailed for eight years for carrying the Mauser automatic pistol.

Recalling the case, Mr Ramakrishnan said, 'I couldn't take the tension, the sleepless nights.

'It was just too pressurising when a client's life is in my hands.'

He switched to civil cases, which ranged from traffic offences, industrial accidents to tenancy disputes and medical negligence charges.

Among his notable victories for the Legal Aid Bureau was winning close to $300,000 for Ms Norhayati Salleh, 28, in 2006.

A motorcycle accident had rendered her an invalid four years earlier. Suffering from brain damage, she was abandoned by her family and had to be cared for by a neighbour.

'It was a very pitiful case and the money awarded made her life a little less distressing,' he said.

Last week, Mr Ramakrishnan reached an out-of-court settlement for 60-year-old Madam Makeisperi K. Kurusamy, also a client of the Legal Aid Bureau. Details of the settlement are confidential.

The former librarian had sued the National University Hospital and Tock Seng Hospital and their doctors for negligence. She accused them of not having referred to her medical records when treating her for a heart condition.

As a result, she claimed she became too ill to work and would need a maid for the rest of her life.

Madam Makeisperi told The Straits Times, 'Mr Ramakrishnan had worked tirelessly on my case for the last two years. Without his input, it could have dragged on and on.

'I am very grateful to him.'