Background
He was born on 27 November 1887 in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State, the son of Marthinus Theunis Steyn, who was the President of the Orange Free State from 1896 till 1902.
He was born on 27 November 1887 in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State, the son of Marthinus Theunis Steyn, who was the President of the Orange Free State from 1896 till 1902.
Leiden University.
He practiced as a lawyer in Pretoria and then in Bloemfontein, where he was elected as deputy leader of the National Party. He served in the capacity as Deputy Minister of Justice from 1915 to 1928, under Tielman Roos. In 1953, he left the House of Assembly for the Senate, where he was served as Senator until 1955.
He resigned from Parliament in 1955, due to health problems.
He died on 23 April 1959.
He resigned this mandate in 1928, and left the political life for a short period, before joining United Party in 1936 and was once again reelected to Parliament of South Africa in 1938. He was appointed as the Minister of Justice from 1939 till 1945, and then served as Minister of Employment from 1946 till 1948, in the South African Party government of President January Smuts.