Kenneth Benjamin (judge)

The Honourable Kenneth Benjamin Chief Justice of Belize (Retd.)
in 2019
10th Chief Justice of Belize
In office 15 September 2011 – 20 March 2020
Nominated by	Dean Barrow
Appointed by	Colville Young
Preceded by	Samuel Awich (acting)
Succeeded by	Michelle Arana (acting)
Personal details
Born	Kenneth Andrew Charles Benjamin (1955-03-19) 19 March 1955 (age 69) Georgetown, British Guiana
Alma mater	University of the West Indies (LLB), Hugh Wooding Law School

Kenneth Andrew Charles Benjamin (born 19 March 1955) is a Caribbean jurist. A dual national of Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, he served as Chief Justice of Belize from 15 September 2011[1][2] to 20 March 2020.[3]

Career

Benjamin was born on 19 March 1955[3] in Georgetown, Guyana.[4] 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][5] Following that, he was named as a judge of the High Court of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.[5] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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][7]

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. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
2. Trapp, Adele (2011-07-29). "Guyanese jurist, Kenneth Benjamin, 56, to succeed Conteh". Amandala. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
3. "CJ Kenneth Benjamin Retires; Who Takes Up the Post?". Channel 5 Belize. 20 March 2020.
4. "BIO DATA – HON. KENNETH BENJAMIN, CHIEF JUSTICE OF BELIZE" (PDF). Summit of High Courts 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2018.
5. "Grenada has a new judge". Grenada Informer. 2007-09-08. Retrieved 2012-04-18.^[permanent dead link‍]
6. "Chief Justice designate, Kenneth Benjamin makes first appearance in court area". The Belize Guardian. 2011-09-15. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
7. Trapp, Adele (2011-09-30). "High hopes for new Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin". Amandala. Archived from the original on 2011-10-11.

Legal offices
Preceded by Samuel Awich (acting)	Chief Justice of Belize 2011-2020	Succeeded by Michelle Arana (acting)