A Manitoba court has dismissed Peter Nygard’s extradition appeal more than a year after the former fashion executive’s lawyers argued their case in court.
The 82-year-old’s lawyers argued last April that the Manitoba Court of Appeal should quash an order from Canada’s justice minister to extradite Nygard to the U.S. — where he faces face sex trafficking charges in the Southern District of New York — once his Canadian charges are dealt with.
Nygard’s then-lawyer Brian Greenspan argued it would be unjust to extradite Nygard without getting assurances from the justice minister that his rights would be protected. One of those assurances included not being sent to the Metropolitan Detention Centre in New York, over concerns about his health and safety.
But a May 3 court decision says the minister’s reasons for declining that assurance were “transparent, intelligible and justified.”
“I have not been persuaded that this is one of those exceptional cases where it is appropriate to disturb the Minister’s refusal to seek an assurance,” the court document says.
“I would dismiss the application for judicial review of the Minister’s decision ordering the applicant’s surrender to the USA,” it later adds.
The decision was signed by justices Holly Beard, Marc Monnin and Christopher Mainella.
Nygard was found guilty by a Toronto jury last November of four counts of sexual assault, in connection with assaults in Toronto during a period from the late 1980s to around 2005. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 14.
He is still facing charges in Manitoba and Quebec. No dates have been set for the Winnipeg trial yet.
Nygard has consistently denied allegations against him.