# Miliani Sansoni
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{{Short description|Chief Justice of Ceylon from 1964 to 1966}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Miliani Sansoni
|native_name =
|native_name_lang =
|alt =
|caption =
|office = 32nd [Chief Justice of Ceylon](/source/Chief_Justice_of_Ceylon)
|nominator =
|appointer = [William Gopallawa](/source/William_Gopallawa)
|term_start = 1964
|term_end = 1966
|predecessor = [Hema Henry Basnayake](/source/Hema_Henry_Basnayake)
|successor = [Hugh Norman Gregory Fernando](/source/Hugh_Norman_Gregory_Fernando)
|birth_date = 1904
|birth_place =
|death_date = 1979
|death_place =
|party =
|other_party =
|spouse = Phyllis Ondaartje (1930 – 1979?)
|partner =
|relations =
|children = 2 (Tania, Miliani Philip)
|alma_mater = [Royal College Colombo](/source/Royal_College_Colombo)
|signature =
|signature_alt =
|website =
}}
[Deshamanya](/source/Deshamanya) ''' Miliani Edward Claude Sansoni''' (18 November 1904 – 1979) was a [Ceylonese](/source/Demographics_of_Sri_Lanka) judge, who served as the 32nd [Chief Justice of Ceylon](/source/Chief_Justice_of_Ceylon).
==Early life and education==
He was born on 18 November 1904 to Claude Aldons Sansoni, [JP](/source/Justice_of_the_peace), a [Proctor](/source/Proctor) and Hilda Gratiaen, daughter of Edward Stork Gratiaen, Colonial Surgeon,
Ceylon Medical Department and Sophia Jane Vander Smagt. He had a brother, Hildon Claude Sansoni, and a sister, Sylvia Carmen, who married Clinton Bryan Fernando. His brother, Hildon, was a [proctor](/source/proctor) and a [lieutenant](/source/lieutenant) in the [Ceylon Royal Navy Reserve](/source/Ceylon_Navy_Volunteer_Reserve), who served as an [extra aide-de-camp](/source/Aide-de-Camp) to the [governor general of Ceylon](/source/Governor_General_of_Ceylon). Hildon married the artist [Barbara Sansoni](/source/Barbara_Sansoni), who founded the [Barefoot](/source/Barefoot_(retailer)) textile design company.[{{cite web |title=GENEALOGY OF THE FAMILY OF SANSONI OF CEYLON |url=https://thedutchburgherunion.org/genealogy/ancestry-s/JDBU%201959%20Vol%2049%20No%201-2%20p35%20-%20Sansoni%20Ancestry%281%29.pdf |publisher=Dutch Burger Union of Ceylon |accessdate=6 October 2019}}][{{cite news |title=Barbara honoured |url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=157068 |accessdate=6 October 2019 |publisher=Island}}] She gave birth to two sons; Dominic and Simon.[{{Cite web |title=ARTRA {{!}} Sri Lanka's Art & Design Magazine {{!}} BARBARA SANSONI EDITION – COMPOSING ARCHITECTURE |url=https://www.artra.lk/visual-art/barbara-sansoni-edition-composing-architecture |access-date=2022-04-25|website=www.artra.lk}}]
Sansoni was educated at [Royal College Colombo](/source/Royal_College_Colombo), where he was the editor of the ''Royal College Magazine''. He graduated from the [University of London](/source/University_of_London) with a [BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree and was called to the bar as a [barrister](/source/barrister) from the [Gray's Inn](/source/Gray's_Inn). On his return to Ceylon, he was enrolled as an [advocate](/source/advocate).[[http://www.island.lk/2000/09/30/satmag04.html Royal College Magazine].]
==Judicial career==
After practicing the [unofficial bar](/source/unofficial_bar), he was appointed [Acting Magistrate](/source/Magistrate), Dandagamuwa in December 1937 and thereafter Acting Magistrate, [Kandy](/source/Kandy). He joined the [Ceylon Judicial Service](/source/Ceylon_Judicial_Service) on 1 July 1939, on probation in the Class II, Grade I as Magistrate, Kandy and was confirmed in service on 1 July 1940. Promoted to Class II, Grade III on 1 April 1942, he was appointed [District Judge](/source/District_Courts_of_Sri_Lanka), [Tangalle](/source/Tangalle). He went on to serve as District Judge, [Batticaloa](/source/Batticaloa) (28 August 1944); Acting District Judge, Badulla (16 April 1945); Acting District Judge, [Panadura](/source/Panadura) (19 August 1946); District Judge, [Kegalle](/source/Kegalle) (15 January 1947); Additional District Judge, Colombo (1 April 1949). He was promoted to Class I, Grade II on 1 January 1946, Supernumerary Officer (Class I, Grade II) on 1 March 1948 and Officer Class I, Grade I in March 1949 in the Ceylon Judicial Service. Between March 1949 and September 1953, he served as Additional District Judge, Colombo; Acting District Judge, Colombo and District Judge, Colombo. On 15 September 1953 he was appointed [Commissioner of Assize](/source/Commissioner_of_Assize) and promoted to officer Special Class in the Ceylon Judaical Service on 9 November 1953. He was thereafter appointed to the [Supreme Court of Ceylon](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Ceylon) as a [Puisne Justice](/source/Puisne_Justice).[{{cite book |title=The Ceylon Civil List 1954 |publisher=The Government Press |location=Ceylon}}]
He was appointed in 1964 as [Chief Justice of Ceylon](/source/Chief_Justice_of_Ceylon) succeeding [Hema Henry Basnayake](/source/Hema_Henry_Basnayake) and served as Chief Justice until 1966. He was succeeded by [Hugh Norman Gregory Fernando](/source/Hugh_Norman_Gregory_Fernando). He chaired the ''[Sansoni Commission](/source/Sansoni_Commission)'' that investigated the riots of 1977.[{{cite web|title=Overview |url=http://www.jsc.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=60&lang=en |publisher=Judicial Service Commission Secretariat |accessdate=19 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019091817/http://www.jsc.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=60&lang=en |archivedate=19 October 2013 }}]
==Honors==
He was conferred the [national honour](/source/Sri_Lankan_honours_system) of the title of [Deshamanya](/source/Deshamanya) in the first ever Independence Day National Honours list in 1986.[{{cite web|title=National Awards|url=http://www.presidentsoffice.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89&Itemid=236|publisher=Presidential Secretariat – Sri Lanka|accessdate=9 November 2013}}]
==Family==
He married Phyllis Frances Ondaartje daughter of Aelian Owen Morgan Ondaartje, [JP, UM](/source/Unofficial_magistrate), a [Proctor](/source/Proctor) and Elsie Thompson Staiunton at the St. Michael's and All Angels' Church, Colombo on 4 October 1930. They had a daughter, Tania Sansoni and son, Miliani Philip Sansoni.