Media motion for cameras in courtroom during Peter Nygard extradition hearing won’t be contested, lawyers say

WINNIPEG -

A group of local and international media outlets seeking approval to have cameras in court for Peter Nygard’s extradition hearing in November won’t have to defend their motion in court, paving the way for the proceedings to be broadcast to the public.

Bob Sokalski, a lawyer for the media outlets, said written briefs and affidavits were served on counsel for the Attorney General of Canada and Nygard’s lawyers and neither party contested the motion.

“Rather than providing materials in response, they indicated to me and to the court they were consenting to the camera access application,” Sokalski said.

A hearing on the matter was scheduled for July 9, but lawyers said that hearing is no longer needed. Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal previously approved a motion by the media outlets to have cameras in the courtroom for those arguments.

Jay Prober, one of Nygard’s lawyers, confirmed they’re taking no position on the matter for the extradition hearing and therefore are not opposed.

Scott Farlinger, a lawyer for the Attorney General of Canada, said they won’t be contesting the application, either.

Lawyers for the media outlets, which include CTV News, CBC, Global, the New York Times, the Globe and Mail and Postmedia, said that means as long as logistics can be worked out with the court, the Nygard hearing can be live-streamed to the public.

“It means that the viewing public will be able to virtually attend that extradition hearing and watch the proceedings and learn all about it,” said Fred Kozak, a lawyer for the media outlets.

Next steps will involve dealing with protocols and technical issues such as where cameras can be located and how the cameras will be positioned, Sokalski said.

“Those are technical issues that are under dialogue with counsel for the other parties and if we need to sort things out we’ll be doing that with Chief Justice Joyal.”

Ten court proceedings have been live-streamed in Manitoba since 2014.

Nygard remains in custody at the Headingley Correctional Centre. He was arrested in Winnipeg in December and is facing extradition to the U.S. on nine counts including sex trafficking and racketeering.

None of the charges have been proven in court and Nygard is presumed innocent.

His extradition hearing is scheduled for five days in Winnipeg starting Nov. 15, 2021.