Aadhithya Anbahan

Aadhithya is an experienced and highly regarded specialist Social Housing Barrister, who is considered to be “an impressive junior, held in high esteem by market commentators.” She appears in the full range of housing related matters and is particularly noted for her expertise and nuance in advising and representing landlords in complex multi-day trials, focusing on Disability Discrimination and Public Law. Aadhithya is “extremely knowledgeable when it comes to all things Equality Act.”

Aadhithya’s approachable and likeable manner complements her stellar reputation as a confident, forthright and fearless advocate for her clients. She is noted for her methodical, persuasive and analytical approach alongside meticulous preparation. Commentators regard her “enthusiasm as second to none” and “a delight to work with…and to learn from.”

Aadhithya is ranked as a Tier/Band 1 Leading Junior in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 directories for Social Housing (Midlands) and has been ranked for the majority of her practice at the Bar. The directories describes her as “…fiercely intelligent with exceptional technical ability. She is also an awesome advocate and has a thorough approach to her work. She is great with clients and goes over and above to provide a comprehensive service and understands the economic realisms of social housing…”

Aadhithya was appointed to sit on the Midlands Circuit as a Deputy District Judge (Civil) in 2025 and as a Recorder (Crime) in 2026.

Further Information

For a number of years Aadhithya practiced both in crime and social housing at the Bar. Accordingly she has significant experience in prosecuting offences and defending on serious criminal matters. Her experience equips her to particularly deal with  quasi-criminal matters and the interplay between social housing, anti-social behaviour and the criminal courts.

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 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 time 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.