On the afternoon of Thursday, 30th June, Anguilla’s Senior Magistrate, Mr. Keithly Benjamin, had the esteemed honour of having the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) conferred upon him by Her Excellency the Governor, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, at a brief ceremony at the Governor’s House in Old Ta.
Mr. Benjamin had been appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth the Second in her 2021 Birthday Honours List.
The ceremonial event, last Thursday afternoon, was witnessed by members of Mr. Benjamin’s family, friends, colleagues and well-wishers who had come to give him their loyal support.
Renderings of the National Anthem and the National Song were performed by the Royal Anguilla Police Force Band. Prayer was offered by Canon Reid Simon, and a special song, “To God Be the Glory”, was rendered by Merwyn Foster Rogers, OBE.
In conferring the honour upon Mr. Benjamin, Her Excellency declared: “We are here today to honour Senior Magistrate Keithly Benjamin who was made an Officer of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in Her Majesty the Queens 2021 birthday honours.
This is in recognition of his four decades of service to policing and to the justice system in Anguilla.”
“Following basic training at the regional police training centre in Barbados,” the Governor continued, “Mr. Benjamin joined the Royal Anguilla Police Force and was sworn in as a Constable in 1979. It was the start of thirty-one years of policing. Constable Benjamin impressed his seniors and rose through the ranks. In recognition of his outstanding leadership, he was promoted to inspector in 1988, with progression to Chief Inspector, Superintendent, and Deputy Commissioner in short order…
“With an eye to the future, and ambitions to continue his life of service, upon completion of his policing in 1999 Mr. Benjamin obtained a Bachelor of Law Degree with honours from the University of the West Indies in Barbados. He also attained a Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica in 2001.
“Mr. Benjamin took on the role of Magistrate in 2010. In ten years, as a Junior Magistrate, he gained a reputation for efficiency in the administration of justice, and for improving the quality of the court service and justice outcomes.”
Her Excellency continued: “In September 2020, Mr. Benjamin was appointed Anguilla’s Senior Magistrate. This is the position which he still holds today.”
The Governor then asked Mr. Benjamin to draw near, and announced: “It is in recognition of your valued and commendable service to the public that Her Majesty the Queen has conferred upon you to be an Officer of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. It is with great pleasure that, on Her Majesty’s behalf, I present you with this medal.”
In accepting the medal, Mr. Benjamin responded with gratitude to all who had played a part in helping him to advance to that noble position. But he specifically recognised Mr. John Benjamin, QC, as the one who had made a remarkable contribution in training him for his life of service.
He affirmed: “I am delighted and humbled to be here today but, more importantly, I am delighted that all of you are here to witness and participate in my investiture.” He spoke in glowing, jovial tones of the many experiences that had brought him to the highpoint of recognition, and he mused on the assistance he had received from all those who supported him. “I am here because of you,” he stated. “I am here because of your love, support, encouragement – and in some cases, your investments in me.”
“Nothing about me is self-made,” he admitted. “I owe everything to God whom I thank first for His blessings, good health, and guidance, despite the fact that sometimes he allows me to drift off course, but He always brings me back.”
He expressed thanks to all his supporters including his mother; his benevolent sister, Amelia; his grandmother; and John Benjamin, of course, to whom he expressed much gratitude for all of the time that he had invested in teaching and guiding him towards his profession.
Others to whom he expressed thanks were: Joyce Kentish Egan, QC; Thomas Astaphan QC; and Ms. Bernice Lake, QC, all of whom willingly played a voluntary part in his achievements. Additionally, he said: “I thank Nat Hodge, who considered me worthy of being nominated.” He also paid recognition to Colville Petty, “his brother”. He reflected: “When I broke the news of my expected investiture to Mr. Petty, he replied: ‘“My one and only brother. Now both of us are OBEs.’”
“It is a tremendous feeling to have this honour bestowed upon me, which I deeply appreciate,” he continued. “I thank Her Majesty, the Queen, for recognising my service with this award. Similarly, I thank Her Excellency the Governor and her staff for organizing this ceremony.
“I pledge to continue doing my best in service for this country.”
Following the ceremony, the guests were entertained with light refreshments in celebration.
