Sarwata was the tenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia.

His promotion as Chief Justice thereafter was seen as a victory for the Court's old elite.

[1] He was the first Chief Justice of Indonesia to be openly accused of corruption.

[2] Sarwata has been described as the last bastion of military men in the Indonesian judiciary before the Post-Suharto era.

He was disdainful of civilian institutions, rarely actually showed up for work at the Supreme Court, displayed little knowledge of legal issues and made a habit of dodging official visitors to his office.