Aadhithya Anbahan

Aadhithya regularly appears in a full range of housing related matters before the High Court, Circuit Court, District Judges, Magistrates and Youth Court. She is particularly noted for her expertise and nuance in advising and representing landlords in complex multi-day Equality Act and Public Law centred claims. Aadhithya is well versed in dealing robustly and pragmatically with all aspects of housing law, including but not limited to;

• Possession
•  Injunctions
• Contempt and committal
• Closure Orders
• Anti-social behaviour and nuisance
• Disrepair
•  Equality Act and Public Law Defences
• Succession
•  Trespass

Aadhithya’s approachable and likeable manner accompanies her reputation as a confident and fearless advocate. Aadhithya is well able to appreciate and appropriately handle the subtleties and nuances of any case and is always highly prepared and organised in her approach. She is considered a persuasive and eloquent advocate who acts steadfastly in promoting her client’s case and position.

Aadhithya is considered to be a trusted and highly competent junior barrister for her year of call. She is highly adept at appearing in all hearings from first possession hearings and without notice injunctions up until trial. Aadhithya recently represented the Claimant local Council in complex legal arguments on the interface between the service of NTQs and the provision of discretionary accommodation under the Housing Act 1996; an area of law on which there are no determined authorities.

Aadhithya is regularly instructed by local authorities and Association’s alike on closure orders and has developed a niche practice in such proceedings in the Magistrates Court and on appeal to the Crown Court. She also routinely advises clients in relation to more specialist ASB related litigation.

Aadhithya’s experience in working within the NHS Mental Health Services and her ability to fairly deal with those suffering from such conditions has been of great value to her conduct of housing cases and she regularly deals with matter involving complex Equality Act and public law defences.

Aadhithya actively participates in Chambers’ training circuit and has provided training to registered providers, local authorities and solicitors on key aspects of housing law. She also provides regular housing updates through both chambers and SHLA publications.

Aadhithya welcomes instructions in paper-based work and is able to settle pleadings, skeleton arguments and written advice within tight timescales. She looks forward to expanding her housing practice and accepts instructions in all Housing matters commensurate to her call.

Further Information

Aadhithya is firmly committed to the global advancement of access to justice and in 2018 spent time volunteering with the African Prisons Project (APP) in Kampala, Uganda. Her time in East Africa included delivering legal aid clinics and advocacy workshops to maximum security inmates, in order to further their legal education and equip them with the necessary skills to represent themselves and their peers in Court.

Prior to joining St Ives Chambers, Aadhithya spent six months working in the USA with the Jackson, Mississippi Office of Capital Post Conviction Counsel, investigating and providing legal services on final stage Death Penalty cases. During this time Aadhithya routinely met and conducted conferences with clients incarcerated on “death row”, interviewed a wide range of witnesses, professionals and jurors and investigated historic crimes. This was done alongside the general breadth of paralegal duties such as drafting notices of appeal, skeleton arguments and extensive legal research.

Before commencing pupillage, Aadhithya was employed by the Civil Service as a Home Office Presenting Officer, representing the Secretary of State regularly in Asylum, Human Rights, EEA Regulations, general Immigration, Points-Based System, Entry Clearance and Visit Visa appeals at the First Tier AIT Tribunal.

Aadhithya has particularly valuable experience dealing with vulnerable individuals and those with mental health concerns through time spent working in the NHS with the Greater Manchester CRISIS outreach and Mental Health Teams. During this time she operated the Mental Health Services help line and is familiar with psychiatric and psychological assessments of those with a wide range of mental health and learning difficulties.

Aadhithya has served as an elected member of the Young Bar Committee (YBC) since 2016 and is the current Midlands Circuit representative. She is also one of 11 nationally selected Bar Council Social Mobility Advocates for the #IamtheBar campaign.

Aadhithya is currently a Visiting Guest Lecturer with the University of Law, Birmingham on both its LPC and BPTC courses in civil and criminal law.