Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline has called for lawyers to be required to practise Virgin Islands law from within the territory, arguing that remote legal work is costing the economy millions in lost revenue.
Speaking on his radio show 'The Virgin Islands is not for sale' on October 6, Skelton-Cline said the ability for lawyers to work from overseas while serving VI clients represents a significant economic leak. He pointed out that the territory receives no social security contributions, payroll taxes, National Health Insurance payments, property rental income, supermarket sales, vehicle purchases or car rental fees from lawyers based abroad.
"You can live in Cayman, you can live in Hong Kong, you can live anywhere in the world and practice Virgin Islands law. That's a problem," Skelton-Cline said.
He acknowledged that the remote work arrangement may have been introduced following the COVID-19 pandemic but questioned whether it serves the VI's interests. Skelton-Cline argued that the territory needs to "reel back in" this arrangement and ensure money earned through VI legal services circulates within the local economy multiple times.
Skelton-Cline also called on multinational corporations operating in the territory to contribute more to VI development. He said companies making billions of dollars globally would need to give up more for the benefit of the territory and its people, linking the issue to the government's Sovereignty Wealth Fund strategy.
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