France to decide next month on extradition of ex-Manitoba law dean in fraud case

A former Manitoba law dean -- arrested in France amid allegations he mismanaged hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund a posh lifestyle in Canada -- is expected to learn next month if he will be extradited.

A court release said Jonathan Black-Branch, the former dean at the University of Manitoba, is fighting being forced back to Canada to face justice. 

A court release from France said he was in the Investigating Chamber of the Versailles Court of Appeal on Friday. He is opposing his extradition. The judicial body, tasked with issuing an opinion on Canada's extradition request, reserved its decision until Nov. 6.

Black-Branch was arrested in April in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, after a Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued for fraud over $5,000. He has been in custody ever since.

Justice Canada confirmed last week it requested the extradition but said the rest is up to the courts in France. "We cannot speculate how long a specific extradition matter may take," spokesperson Kwame Bonsu said in an email on Oct. 8. 

An internal investigation done by the University of Manitoba, based off a complaint, found Black-Branch misused and mismanaged more than $600,000 of the school's funds for personal bills, pricey meals at a members-only club and personal education at Ivy League schools. 

Black-Branch was disbarred by the Law Society of Manitoba in 2024 following the investigation. 

The university asked police in Winnipeg to investigate its former law dean after the law society's decision. It also sued Black-Branch for breaching the terms of his employment agreement. 

In May 2025, the Manitoba Court of King's Bench ordered Black-Branch to repay the school more than $682,000 plus interest. The university has said it is pursuing all available collection options to recoup the money.

Black-Branch was hired as the Winnipeg university's law dean in 2016 but suddenly left the post in 2020 and moved to Europe. Court documents relating to the lawsuit said he was believed to be living in Switzerland.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.

By Brittany Hobson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.