Former U of Manitoba law dean disbarred in U.K., still under Canada-wide arrest warrant

The disgraced former law school dean at Manitoba’s largest university has been disbarred for a second time — this time overseas — as a Canada-wide arrest warrant remains in effect over two years after he disappeared.

Jonathan Black-Branch was disbarred by the Bar Standards Board for England and Wales in February for misspending hundreds of thousands of dollars of University of Manitoba funds while he was dean of its law school between 2016-20.

There is “no doubt” that Black-Branch’s actions “amount to blatant and sustained dishonesty,” reads a portion of a disciplinary decision by the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service.

“There are no exceptional factors which would warrant anything other than a disbarment.”

Black-Branch, who was first called to the bar in the England and Wales in 1998, was also fined £2,670, or just over $4,900 Cdn, according to the recent decision based on five charges of professional misconduct by the Bar Standards Society.

The news comes after the Law Society of Manitoba disbarred Black-Branch in February 2024 in a decision that was cited extensively by the recent Bar Standards Board tribunal.

Black-Branch left his post as dean of the U of M law school suddenly in 2020, with no formal explanation given at the time.

His Manitoba disbarment came after a months-long law society hearing in fall 2023 that found Black-Branch had committed professional misconduct and misspent over $600,000.

He spent U of M endowment funds on expensive meals at the members-only Manitoba Club, personal education at Ivy League schools, accommodation, travel and other expenses while he was dean of the U of M’s law school, according to the Manitoba law society’s 2023 decision.

U of M staff first flagged concerns over Black-Branch’s spending in 2019. The law society investigation found misspending occurred between 2017 and 2020.

On top of being disbarred in Manitoba, Black-Branch was also fined $36,000.

Those 2023 proceedings hit numerous snags before he disappeared, with no official explanation.

He didn’t participate in the Manitoba hearings, nor did he engage in the U.K. tribunal proceedings that led to his disbarment there.

‘Significant consequences’

A spokesperson for the Bar Standards Board said the actions of Black-Branch that led to the Law Society of Manitoba’s finding “were also unacceptable and incompatible with the standards expected of the Bar of England and Wales.”

The U.K. decision to disbar him “reflects the seriousness of his actions,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Among other reasons, the Bar Standards Board said Black-Branch had a duty to disclose the Manitoba investigation findings to his U.K. regulator.

The Law Society of Manitoba thinks his disbarment as a barrister in the U.K. is an appropriate step “to uphold the standards of the profession.”

“To maintain confidence in the regulation of the legal profession, such conduct should result in significant consequences,” a statement from the Law Society of Manitoba said.

The University of Manitoba received a summary judgment from Manitoba Court of King’s Bench in May 2025 requiring Black-Branch pay $682,000, according to a U of M spokesperson.

“Accountability is very important to the university,” and it “intends to pursue all available collection remedies to secure payment,” the spokesperson said in a statement, adding the process of recouping those funds continues.

Some professors at the U of M urged the post-secondary school to pursue legal action, including potential legal charges, after the school initially deferred to the Law Society of Manitoba disbarment proceedings.

The U of M later asked the Winnipeg police to investigate.

On Tuesday, Winnipeg Police Service Const. Claude Chancy said the investigation is ongoing.

He confirmed a Canada-wide arrest warrant is in effect for Black-Branch, whose location is unknown.

CBC News reached out to Black-Branch via email but did not hear back before publication.

The Bar Society Board tribunal report suggests he is entitled to file for another hearing given his absence at hearings in the U.K.