Steadroy Benjamin

{{Short description|Antigua and Barbuda politician}}

{{EngvarB|date=January 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Steadroy "Cutie" Benjamin

| party = Antigua Labour Party

| nationality = Antigua and Barbuda citizenship

| otherparty =

| spouse =

| relations =

| children =

| profession = politician and lawyer

| religion =

| signature =

| website =

| image =

| caption =

| office1 = Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda

| term_start1 = 13 June 2014

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| office2 = Senator in the Senate of Antigua and Barbuda

| term_start2 = 24 April 1980

| term_end2 = 8 March 1994

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| office3 = Leader of the Opposition

| term_start3 = 5 January 2006

| term_end3 = March 2009

| predecessor3 = Robin Yearwood

| successor3 = Lester Bird

| footnotes =

| honorific_prefix = The Honourable Sir

| honorific_suffix = KGCN

| office = Member of the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda

| constituency = St. John's City South

| predecessor = Christopher O'Mard

| term_start = 8 March 1994

}}

Sir Steadroy "Cutie" Olivero Benjamin, KGCN, is an Antiguan lawyer and politician, who is the current minister of Justice and Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda. He previously served as Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda.

A lawyer by training, Benjamin represented Ivor Bird, the brother of Prime Minister Lester Bird, following his arrest for the attempted smuggling of cocaine.{{cite news|title=Ivor Bird's Pleads Not Guilty|date=11 May 1995|work=Associated Press Worldstream|publisher=Associated Press}}

Benjamin was appointed to the Senate of Antigua and Barbuda in 1981, where he served two terms before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1994.{{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 }} He was then returned as the Member of Parliament for St John's City South, representing Bird's Labour Party, and was re-elected during the 1999 general election with 845 votes, defeating the United Progressive Party candidate Vaughn Walter.{{cite news|title=Labour Party wins majority in parliamentary elections|date=11 March 1999|work=BBC Summary of World Broadcasts|publisher=BBC}} He was then sworn in, on 12 March, as Minister of Planning, Implementation and Public Service Affairs.{{cite news|title=CARIBBEAN: ANTIGUA'S NEW CABINET IS SWORN IN|date=13 March 1999|work=BBC Monitoring Latin America - Political|publisher=BBC}} Later that year he was transferred, becoming Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Co-operatives.{{cite news|title=People in Power: Antigua and Barbuda|date=May 1999|work=Cambridge International Reference on Current Affairs}} In 2001, his position was expanded with the stripping of internal security power from Errol Cort, the Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda, and the granting of this portfolio to Benjamin.{{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}}

As Minister for Labour, Benjamin was responsible for introducing the Sir George Walter (Pension and Other Benefits) Act 2002, which sought to grant Sir George Walter, the second Premier of Antigua and Barbuda, and father of the aforementioned Vaughn Walter, a pension of 10,000 East Caribbean dollars a month,{{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}} and announced that non-Antiguans who lived in Antigua for three years or more would not be required to obtain permits to work.{{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}} Following the 2004 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.{{cite news|title=Antigua: New parliament session opens with swearing-in ceremony|date=30 March 2004|work=BBC Summary of World Broadcasts|publisher=BBC}} Although initially supporting Robin Yearwood as Leader of the Opposition, Benjamin later withdrew his support, as did two other Labour MPs, Gaston Browne and Asot Michael; the group suggested Benjamin as a replacement leader.{{cite news|title=Antiguan opposition leader denies plans to form new party|date=20 December 2005|work=BBC Monitoring Latin America - Political|publisher=BBC}} Benjamin was later appointed Leader of the Opposition, overseeing the removal of Lennox Weston from the Senate, and was later appointed Shadow Minister for justice, legal affairs, the Attorney-General's office and crime.{{cite news|title=Antigua premier appoints political rival as his deputy|date=8 February 2007|work=BBC Monitoring Latin America - Political|publisher=BBC}}

Benjamin was elected again to the House of Representatives in the 2023 general elections for the 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.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Editorial |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

He was presented the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation at the independence celebration on 1 November 2023.{{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}}