Background
Sharvanda was born on 22 February 1923 in Kayts, Jaffna District.
Sharvanda was born on 22 February 1923 in Kayts, Jaffna District.
After completing his secondary education he studied at Colombo Law College, qualifying as a lawyer in 1946.
During his time at the Law College he also obtained a Bachelor degree from the University of London. As a lawyer Sharvanda worked on civil cases and served under such eminent lawyers as Doctor H. West. Thambiah Queen's Counsel, South. J. V. Chelvanayakam Queen's Counsel, and H. V. Perera Queen's Counsel. He was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in 1974. In 1984 he succeeded Neville Samarakoon as Chief Justice, the first Tamil to hold that position.
He made a number of landmark judgments during his Supreme Court tenure, including the 13th Amendment to the constitution.
He retired from the Supreme Court in 1988. After his retirement President J.R Jayewardene appointed him the first governor of the Western Province in 1988.
He held this position until 1994. In 2001 President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed him as the Chairman of the Presidential Truth Commission on ethnic violence between the period of 1981 and 1984.