Court rejects CBC’S attempt to dismiss fashion mogul’s case

Manitoba’s Court of Appeal has given the green light to fashion mogul Peter Nygard to continue his civil defamation lawsuit against the CBC.

The province’s top court released its written decision in the case this week, the latest chapter in a legal fight between Nygard and the public broadcaster.

Nygard has taken the CBC to court in a case that’s described as an international conspiracy to discredit him and his clothing empire.

He alleges CBC journalists Timothy Sawa, Morris Karp and Bob Mckeown “engaged in a conspiracy” in interviewing his former employees in preparing a Fifth

Estate documentary broadcast more than a year ago. The show alleged workplace bullying and harassment at Nygard’s company.

The CBC has attempted to have the civil case dismissed on the grounds it is a frivolous “abuse of process.”

The court said this week it couldn’t dismiss Nygard’s case without knowing all the evidence.

“What the CBC defendants’ submissions overlook is that this is an application to stop the Nygard action in its tracks without hearing any evidence,” the court said.

Michael Farrant, a Nygard company spokesman, told the Winnipeg Free Press in an earlier email exchange that Nygard’s legal team has a strong case against the CBC.