# Steadroy Benjamin

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{{Short description|Antigua and Barbuda politician}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Steadroy "Cutie" Benjamin
| party = [Antigua Labour Party](/source/Antigua_Labour_Party)
| other_party = 
| spouse = 
| relations = 
| children = 
| profession = [politician](/source/politician) and [lawyer](/source/lawyer)
| signature = 
| website = 
| image = Sir Steadroy Benjamin.jpg
| caption = 
| office1 = [Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda](/source/Attorney_General_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda)
| term_start1 = 13 June 2014
| term_end1 = 
| predecessor1 = [Justin Simon](/source/Justin_Simon_(politician))
| successor1 = 
| office2 = Senator in the [Senate of Antigua and Barbuda](/source/Senate_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda)
| term_start2 = 24 April 1980
| term_end2 = 8 March 1994
| predecessor2 = 
| successor2 = 
| office3 = [Leader of the Opposition](/source/Leader_of_the_Opposition_(Antigua_and_Barbuda))
| term_start3 = 5 January 2006
| term_end3 = March 2009
| predecessor3 = [Robin Yearwood](/source/Robin_Yearwood)
| successor3 = [Lester Bird](/source/Lester_Bird)
| footnotes = 
| honorific_prefix = [The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable) [Sir](/source/Sir)
| honorific_suffix = [KGCN](/source/Order_of_the_Nation_(Antigua_and_Barbuda))
| office = Member of the [House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda](/source/House_of_Representatives_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda)
| constituency = [St. John's City South](/source/St._John's_City_South)
| predecessor = [Christopher O'Mard](/source/Christopher_O'Mard)
| term_start = 8 March 1994
}}
'''Sir Steadroy "Cutie" Olivero Benjamin''', [KGCN](/source/Order_of_the_Nation_(Antigua_and_Barbuda)), is an Antiguan lawyer and politician, who is the current minister of Justice and [Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda](/source/Attorney_General_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda). He previously served as [Leader of the Opposition](/source/Leader_of_the_Opposition_(Antigua_and_Barbuda)) in the [Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda](/source/Parliament_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda).

A lawyer by training, Benjamin represented [Ivor Bird](/source/Ivor_Bird), the brother of [Prime Minister](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda) [Lester Bird](/source/Lester_Bird), following his arrest for the attempted smuggling of [cocaine](/source/cocaine).<ref>{{cite news|title=Ivor Bird's Pleads Not Guilty|date=11 May 1995|work=Associated Press Worldstream|publisher=Associated Press}}</ref>

Benjamin was appointed to the [Senate of Antigua and Barbuda](/source/Senate_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda) in 1981, where he served two terms before being elected to the [House of Representatives](/source/House_of_Representatives_(Antigua_and_Barbuda)) in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |title=Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party » Hon. Steadroy 'Cutie' Benjamin |url=http://ablp.ag/hon-steadroy-cutie-benjamin/ |date=27 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227145458/http://ablp.ag/hon-steadroy-cutie-benjamin/ |archive-date=2018-02-27 }}</ref> He was then returned as the [Member of Parliament](/source/House_of_Representatives_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda) for [St John's City South](/source/St._John's_City_South), representing Bird's [Labour Party](/source/Antigua_Labour_Party), and was re-elected during the 1999 general election with 845 votes, defeating the [United Progressive Party](/source/United_Progressive_Party) candidate [Vaughn Walter](/source/Vaughn_Walter).<ref>{{cite news|title=Labour Party wins majority in parliamentary elections|date=11 March 1999|work=BBC Summary of World Broadcasts|publisher=BBC}}</ref> He was then sworn in, on 12 March, as Minister of Planning, Implementation and Public Service Affairs.<ref>{{cite news|title=CARIBBEAN: ANTIGUA'S NEW CABINET IS SWORN IN|date=13 March 1999|work=BBC Monitoring Latin America - Political|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Later that year he was transferred, becoming Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Co-operatives.<ref>{{cite news|title=People in Power: Antigua and Barbuda|date=May 1999|work=Cambridge International Reference on Current Affairs}}</ref> In 2001, his position was expanded with the stripping of internal security power from [Errol Cort](/source/Errol_Cort), the [Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda](/source/Attorney_General_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda), and the granting of this portfolio to Benjamin.<ref>{{cite news|title=Antigua and Barbuda: Cabinet reshuffle; premier to share finance portfolio|date=6 January 2001|work=BBC Monitoring Latin America - Political|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

As Minister for Labour, Benjamin was responsible for introducing the Sir [George Walter](/source/George_Walter) (Pension and Other Benefits) Act 2002, which sought to grant [Sir George Walter](/source/George_Walter), the second Premier of Antigua and Barbuda, and father of the aforementioned Vaughn Walter, a pension of 10,000 [East Caribbean dollar](/source/East_Caribbean_dollar)s a month,<ref>{{cite news|title=Antigua: New anti-corruption legislation to be presented to parliament|date=22 October 2002|work=BBC Summary of World Broadcasts|publisher=BBC}}</ref> and announced that non-Antiguans who lived in Antigua for three years or more would not be required to obtain permits to work.<ref>{{cite news|title=Antigua and Barbuda exempts work permit requirements for non-nationals|date=23 May 2003|work=BBC Summary of World Broadcasts|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Following the [2004 general election](/source/2004_Antigua_and_Barbuda_general_election), Benjamin was one of only four Labour Party MPs to keep his seat, and was sworn into the new Parliament on 29 March 2004.<ref>{{cite news|title=Antigua: New parliament session opens with swearing-in ceremony|date=30 March 2004|work=BBC Summary of World Broadcasts|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Although initially supporting [Robin Yearwood](/source/Robin_Yearwood) as Leader of the Opposition, Benjamin later withdrew his support, as did two other Labour MPs, [Gaston Browne](/source/Gaston_Browne) and [Asot Michael](/source/Asot_Michael); the group suggested Benjamin as a replacement leader.<ref>{{cite news|title=Antiguan opposition leader denies plans to form new party|date=20 December 2005|work=BBC Monitoring Latin America - Political|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Benjamin was later appointed [Leader of the Opposition](/source/Leader_of_the_Opposition_(Antigua_and_Barbuda)), overseeing the removal of [Lennox Weston](/source/Lennox_Weston) from the [Senate](/source/Senate_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda), and was later appointed Shadow Minister for justice, legal affairs, the Attorney-General's office and crime.<ref>{{cite news|title=Antigua premier appoints political rival as his deputy|date=8 February 2007|work=BBC Monitoring Latin America - Political|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

Benjamin was elected again to the [House of Representatives](/source/House_of_Representatives_(Antigua_and_Barbuda)) in the [2023 general elections](/source/2023_Antiguan_general_election) for the [St John's City South](/source/St._John's_City_South) Constituency and confirmed as Minister of  Legal Affairs, Public Safety, Immigration and Labour in the Government of the Prime Minister [Gaston Browne](/source/Gaston_Browne).<ref>{{Cite web |author=Editorial Staff |date=2023-01-19 |title=ABLP claims narrow victory at the polls - Antigua News ! |url=https://antigua.news/2023/01/19/ablp-claims-narrow-victory-at-the-polls/#google_vignette |access-date=2025-01-30 |language=en-GB}} [Antigua.news](/source/Antigua.news)</ref>

He was presented the [Most Distinguished Order of the Nation](/source/Most_Distinguished_Order_of_the_Nation) at the independence celebration on 1 November 2023.<ref>{{Citation |title=Independence ceremonial parade and national awards (Wednesday 1st November 2023) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f03rOCzCYfk |access-date=2023-11-01 |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [Gaston Browne](/source/Gaston_Browne)
* [E.P. Chet Greene](/source/Paul_Chet_Greene)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benjamin, Steadroy}}
Category:Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party politicians
Category:Members of the House of Representatives (Antigua and Barbuda)
Category:Members of the Senate (Antigua and Barbuda)
Category:Living people
Category:Antigua and Barbuda lawyers
Category:Antigua and Barbuda republicans
Category:Government ministers of Antigua and Barbuda
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Attorneys general of Antigua and Barbuda
Category:Recipients of the Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda)
Category:Members of the 16th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda
Category:Members of the 15th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda
Category:Members of the 14th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda
Category:Members of the 17th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Steadroy Benjamin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steadroy_Benjamin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steadroy_Benjamin?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.