Supreme Court of Canada declines to hear appeal from former fashion mogul Nygard

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from former fashion mogul Peter Nygard.

The high court has rejected a leave to appeal request concerning Nygard’s extradition to the United States, where he faces sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

Nygard wanted a judicial review of the order to extradite him, but the Manitoba Court of Appeal rejected the request in May, and Nygard’s lawyers had hoped to take the matter to the Supreme Court.

As is its standard practice, the high court did not give reasons for its decision to not hear the case.

U.S. authorities sought Nygard’s extradition from Canada on a nine-count indictment filed in New York, alleging he was involved in illegal activity for the purpose of sexually abusing and trafficking women and underage girls.

Nygard, the 83-year-old founder of a now-defunct women’s fashion company, was found guilty last year of four counts of sexual assault in Toronto for offences from the 1980s to mid-2000s.

He was sentenced to 11 years in prison, minus roughly four years’ credit for time already spent in custody.

Nygard also faces one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in Quebec, as well as sex related charges in Winnipeg.

None of the charges against Nygard in those jurisdictions, or in the U.S., have been tested in court. He has denied all allegations against him, and is appealing his convictions and sentence in Ontario.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2024

The Canadian Press