Preliminary hearing cancelled in human trafficking case

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on January 12, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

The preliminary hearing for a Calgary doctor charged in relation to a human trafficking case in Lethbridge has been cancelled.

The one-day hearing for Ziyaad Noor was to begin Wednesday in Lethbridge provincial court, but it was adjourned after Calgary lawyer James Hawkins said he had received new disclosure from the Crown’s office only Tuesday.

Hawkins told court had it not been for the last-minute disclosure, he would have been prepared to proceed with the preliminary inquiry, but he needs time to review the additional information and discuss it with his client and the Crown prosecutor.

A preliminary hearing is typically held to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant a trial.

Noor is one of eight men and two youth who were charged in August of 2021 with numerous sex-related offences. Police said several men groomed a 15-year-old girl and took her to various locations where sex offences took place. Many of the individuals also engaged in sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl, and three additional victims came forward later in connection with the investigation.

Noor, who practiced medicine in Lethbridge and Calgary, was released Aug. 24, 2021 on $10,000 bail, with the promise to pay that amount should he breach any of the several conditions attached to his bail. He pleaded not guilty last March and elected to be tried in provincial court on several sex-related charges, including trafficking in persons, and a trial was later scheduled to run this week.

However, during a hearing in December, Noor re-elected to be tried by a Court of King’s Bench judge and jury with a preliminary inquiry, and the provincial court trial was vacated.

Although initially facing seven charges, the Crown previously told court it would proceed on only three of the charges; sexual contact with a child, sexual interference and sexual assault of a person under the age of 16.

Noor’s matter is scheduled to return to provincial court Feb. 1, ostensibly to set a date for a new preliminary inquiry.

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