Eva Wanasundera

{{Short description|Sri Lankan judge}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Eva Wanasundera

|native_name =

|native_name_lang =

|honorific-suffix = PC

|image =

|imagesize =

|smallimage =

|alt =

|caption =

|office = Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka

|nominator =

|appointer =

|term_start = 7 July 2012

|term_end = 14 December 2018

|predecessor =

|successor =

|order2 = 42nd

|office2 = Attorney General of Sri Lanka

|nominator2 =

|appointer2 =

|term_start2 = 1 September 2011

|term_end2 = 2012

|predecessor2 = Mohan Peiris

|successor2 = Palitha Fernando

|order3 = 41st

|office3 = Solicitor General of Sri Lanka

|nominator3 =

|appointer3 =

|term_start3 = 2011

|term_end3 = 2011

|predecessor3 = Priyasath Dep

|successor3 = Palitha Fernando

|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1954|01}}

|birth_place = Kurunegala, North Western Province

|death_date =

|death_place =

|restingplace =

|birthname = Shanthi Eva Jayasena

|party =

|otherparty =

|spouse = Indrajith

|relations =

|children = Subodha

|alma_mater = Sri Lanka Law College
University of Leicester

|religion =

|signature =

|signature_alt =

|website =

}}

Shanthi Eva Wanasundera PC (born January 1954) is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. She is a former puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Prior to her appointment as puisne justice, in 2012, she served as Solicitor General and Attorney General of Sri Lanka.{{cite web|last=Boange|first=Dilshan|title=Another 'Justice Wanasundera' for 'Apex Court'|url=http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-features/item/8984-another-%E2%80%98justice-wanasundera%E2%80%99-for-%E2%80%98apex-court%E2%80%99.html|publisher=Nation.lk|access-date=16 November 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131116154651/http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-features/item/8984-another-%E2%80%98justice-wanasundera%E2%80%99-for-%E2%80%98apex-court%E2%80%99.html|archive-date=16 November 2013|url-status=dead}}

Shanthi Eva Wanasundera was born in Kurunegala to Hector Jayasena, a teacher from the south. Wansundera attended St. Thomas' Girls' High School, Matara and Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya where she was appointed the first female head prefect of the school. While at Dharmapala Vidyalaya she won the American Field Service Scholarship which allowed her to study in the United States at Canyon del Oro High School Tucson, Arizona spending a year as an exchange student. Upon her return she entered the Sri Lanka Law College. In 1995 she also obtained a master's degree in law from the University of Leicester.{{cite web|last=Malalasekera|first=Sarath|title=Justice Wanasundera discharges duties with professionalism -AG|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2012/08/02/news20.asp|publisher=Dailynews.lk|access-date=16 November 2013}}

Wanasundera was called to the bar in 1997. She practiced at the Unofficial Bar for two years prior joining the Attorney General's Department.

She made history when she became the first woman senior state counsel, the first woman deputy solicitor general, the first woman additional solicitor general and the first woman Solicitor General and first ever woman Attorney General of Sri Lanka. Eva Wanasundera served as acting attorney general 16 times before her appointment as attorney general.{{cite web|last=Hettiarachchi|first=Dulan|title=Shanthi Eva Wanasundera scales great heights|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2011/09/04/new17.asp|publisher=Sunday Observer.lk|access-date=16 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128225712/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/09/04/new17.asp|archive-date=28 January 2013|url-status=live}} she represented Sri Lanka at key conferences abroad.{{cite web|last1=Malalasekera|first1=Sarath|title=Eva Wanasundera, new Supreme Court judge|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2012/07/08/new21.asp|access-date=12 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112454/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2012/07/08/new21.asp|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live}}

On 7 July 2012 she was appointed as a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Wanasundera, being a senior member of the Supreme Court, has acted as chief justice in the absence of Chief Justice K. Sripavan.{{cite web|title=Justice Eva Wanasundera taken oaths as acting Chief Justice|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/node/88035|publisher=Asiantribune.com|access-date=12 January 2016}}{{cite web|title=Sri Lanka appoints Eva Wanasundera as new acting CJ|date=12 October 2015 |url=http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/sri-lanka-appoints-eva-wansundera-as-new-acting-cj/|publisher=Lanka Business Online|access-date=12 January 2016}} She retired two months early from the Supreme Court on 14 December 2018.{{cite web |title=Eva Wanasundera's Last Hurrah For The Rajapaksas: Controversial Judge To Hear Mahinda's Appeal Against Quo Warranto Stay Order On Friday |url=https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/eva-wanasunderas-last-hurrah-for-the-rajapaksas-controversial-judge-to-hear-mahindas-appeal-against-quo-warranto-stay-order-on-friday/ |website=Colombo Telegraph |access-date=13 December 2018 |date=13 December 2018}}{{cite web |title=SC Justice Eva Wanasundera retires today |url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news/52051/sc-justice-eva-wanasundera-retires-today |website=www.adaderana.lk |access-date=14 December 2018 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=The Supreme Court commences the hearing of former President Mahinda's appeal |url=http://www.hirunews.lk/206122/the-supreme-court-commences-the-hearing-of-former-president-mahindas-appeal |website=Hiru News |access-date=14 December 2018 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Justice Aluwihare announces the retirement of Justice Ewa Wanasundara |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Justice-Aluwihare-announces-the-retirement-of-Justice-Ewa-Wanasundara-159780.html |website=www.dailymirror.lk |access-date=14 December 2018 |language=en}}