Born on 18 November 1904 to Claude Aldons Sansoni, JP, a 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 Claude Sansoni was a proctor and a lieutenant in the Ceylon Royal Navy Reserve, who served as an extra aide-de-camp to the governor general of Ceylon. Hildon married the artist Barbara Sansoni, who founded the Barefoot textile design company.[1][2] She gave birth to two sons; Dominic and Simon.[3]
After practicing the unofficial bar, he was appointed Acting Magistrate, Dandagamuwa in December 1937 and thereafter Acting Magistrate, Kandy. He joined the 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, Tangalle. He went on to serve as District Judge, Batticaloa (28 August 1944); Acting District Judge, Badulla (16 April 1945); Acting District Judge, Panadura (19 August 1946); District Judge, 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 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 as a Puisne Justice.[5]
He was conferred the national honour of the title of Deshamanya in the first ever Independence Day National Honours list in 1986.[7]
Family
He married Phyllis Frances Ondaartje daughter of Aelian Owen Morgan Ondaartje, JP, UM, a 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.[1]