Ex-U of M law dean wanted on fraud charge arrested in Europe: police

Jonathan Black-Branch, former dean of the University of Manitoba's law faculty, is shown in this undated image. He was arrested in Europe on an extradition request after a Canada-wide warrant was issued for fraud over $5,000. (University of Manitoba)

A former law dean at the University of Manitoba who was the subject of a Canada-wide arrest warrant for fraud has been arrested in Europe, police have confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Police Service confirmed to CTV News that Jonathan Black-Branch has been arrested in Europe “as a result of an extradition request.”

Police spokesperson Cst. Stephen Spencer said the extradition process is ongoing, in an emailed statement Tuesday.

CTV News has reached out to the Winnipeg Police Service for more information and is awaiting a response.

The WPS previously said a Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued for Black-Branch on March 30 on a charge of fraud over $5,000.

Black-Branch served as law dean at the University of Manitoba from 2016 to 2020, in a role originally intended as a five-year term. An internal investigation, prompted by a complaint, concluded that more than $600,000 in university funds had been misappropriated during that period, including expenditures on university programs, membership fees, accommodations and meals.

Court records indicate over $500,000 was spent on professional development programs between December 2017 and July 2019, at institutions including Harvard University and the University of Cambridge.

Black-Branch’s employment was terminated in July 2020, and at some point, he left the country. Court documents filed in 2024 by legal counsel for the University of Manitoba list his last known address as Oxford, England. An affidavit filed that year suggests he may have been residing in Switzerland.

The University of Manitoba sued Black-Branch in the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba in August 2024 to recoup the funds. It was granted default judgment in May 2025 for $679,269.98 plus legal costs, bearing interest at three per cent per year.

A spokesperson for the university said in April that efforts to recover the funds are ongoing. CTV News has reached out to the university for an update.

The university has since put additional measures in place to prevent fraud and financial irregularities, including a new policy and a course on financial stewardship and ethical conduct.

Black-Branch was previously disbarred by the Law Society of Manitoba in February 2024 after he was found guilty of professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a lawyer.

The 28-page decision, issued by the Law Society of Manitoba’s discipline panel, followed a hearing that began in fall 2023, which Black-Branch did not attend. The decision notes he had sought multiple adjournments on medical grounds.

Black-Branch was also disbarred by the Bar Standards Board for England and Wales in February, after being found guilty on five charges of professional misconduct.

CTV News has also reached out to RCMP for information.

This is a developing story and will be updated.