Kenneth Benjamin (judge)

Kenneth Andrew Charles Benjamin is a Caribbean jurist. A dual national of Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, he has served as Chief Justice of Belize since 15 September 2011.[1][2]

Career

In 1980 and 1981, Benjamin served as a magistrate in Georgetown, Guyana, He went on to serve as Assistant Judge Advocate for the Guyana Defence Force.[2] From 1988, he continued his work as a judge in Antigua, including from 1991 to 1993 as Chief Magistrate of Antigua.[2][3] Following that, he was named as a judge of the High Court of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.[3] In this capacity he served in Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands in the succeeding years.[2] From 2002 to 2007, Benjamin's position as ECSC High Court Judge took him to Grenada; he was succeeded there by Francis Cumberbatch.[3] In 2007, he relocated to St. Lucia to become the presiding judge of the High Court of St. Lucia's criminal division.[2]

In July 2011, following the retirement of Abdulai Conteh, Attorney-General B. Q. Pitts announced that Benjamin would be Belize's new Chief Justice.[2] In the interim, Samuel Lungole Awich served as acting CJ.[4] Pitts indicated his hopes that Benjamin, at the time 56, would be able to hold his position until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 65.[2][5]

Personal life

Benjamin graduated from the Hugh Wooding Law School of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago in 1977. He is married and has a daughter and a son.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Guyanese Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin opens Supreme Court for Belize". The Guyana Press. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Trapp, Adele (2011-07-29). "Guyanese jurist, Kenneth Benjamin, 56, to succeed Conteh". Amandala. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  3. 1 2 3 "Grenada has a new judge". Grenada Informer. 2007-09-08. Archived from the original on 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  4. ↑ "Chief Justice designate, Kenneth Benjamin makes first appearance in court area". The Belize Guardian. 2011-09-15. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  5. ↑ Trapp, Adele (2011-09-30). "High hopes for new Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin". Amandala. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Samuel Awich (acting)		 Chief Justice of Belize
2011- 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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