Shanthi specialises in public inquiries and inquests and is instructed in three major public inquiries. She has insight into the differing perspectives in a public inquiry having been instructed on behalf of core participants and as Counsel to Inquiry. She is adept at analysing large bodies of evidence and cutting through to the key issues.

Shanthi was instructed as junior counsel to the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry. She maintained a key role supporting lead counsel in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Inquiry.

She is also instructed as junior counsel to Category F Core Participants (families of deceased children whose identities were stolen) and a child born of a relationship with an undercover officer in the Undercover Policing Inquiry.

Shanthi represents core participants in multiple modules of the Covid-19 Public Inquiry.

Shanthi is regularly instructed on behalf of bereaved families in Article 2 jury inquests. She has particular experience in deaths in prison custody, mental health and psychiatric detention and following police contact. Shanthi is known for working well with instructing solicitors and her client focused approach.

Shanthi has substantial experience in immigration and asylum law accepting instructions in judicial review challenges, and statutory appeals related to asylum, human rights, EEA Law, deportation and trafficking. She regularly acts in the High Court, Upper Tribunal and First-tier Tribunal. Shanthi is known for her calm and reassuring manner when representing vulnerable adults and children in particular in asylum claims and human trafficking cases.

She also has experience advising on issues related to British citizenship, including applications for naturalisation.

She represents Bail for Immigration Detainees on a pro bono basis.

Shanthi has  a broad public law and human rights practice. She is able to advise on the scope of judicial review, procedure and costs risks.  She is adept at identifying innovative means to advance a case and raise issues in the context of strategic litigation.

She is regularly instructed in cases raising issues related to immigration and asylum law. She has a particular interest in challenging unjustified discrimination in Home Office policies affecting vulnerable migrant communities. In 2017, Shanthi was instructed as Junior Counsel in the landmark High Court challenge to the policy of removing EEA nationals for rough sleeping R (oao Gureckis & ors) v SSHD  [2017] EWHC 3298 (Admin).

Drawing on her background working with a broad range of civil society organisations, she understands community organisers and activist groups and is able to advise them on potential public law challenges to policies affecting their communities.

Shanthi has a particular interest in international human rights law. She has advised on cases ranging from the application of universal jurisdiction principles in potential prosecutions for war crimes, to complaints to UN Special Rapporteurs to challenging the proscription of organisations before the Proscribed Organisation Appeals Commission.

She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC).

Shanthi was instructed by Public Interest Law Centre to advise Tamil Information Centre on the prospects of a prosecution for war crimes committed by Keenie-Meenie Services (KMS), British mercenaries, in Sri Lanka during the civil war. She drafted a complaint on behalf of Tamil Information Centre to the Metropolitan Polices Service (MPS) inviting them to open an investigation into KMS. Following receipt of the complaint, the MPS moved their scoping exercise into a full investigation.

Shanthi has extensive knowledge of the law on diplomatic immunity and can advise on cases raising these issues. She was instructed as junior counsel in the private prosecution of Brigadier Fernando, a former Sri Lankan Diplomat, for threatening protestors. This is a seminal case considering residual diplomatic immunity in the criminal jurisdiction.

She has experience of international criminal tribunals following a placement with the Defence Team for Mustafa Baddredine, the former military leader of Hezbollah, at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.