A United Nations judge and former Ugandan high court justice, Lydia Mugambe, has been sentenced to six years and four months in a British prison after being found guilty of enslaving a young Ugandan woman while studying in the UK.
The 50-year-old was convicted in March of multiple charges, including conspiracy to facilitate the breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forced labor, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness. The case has sent shockwaves through international legal circles, with Mugambe previously celebrated for her work on human rights and justice in Uganda.
Prosecutors revealed that Mugambe manipulated her victim, whose identity remains protected, to travel to the UK under false pretenses, only to be subjected to domestic servitude and childcare duties without pay or proper legal status. The victim was not allowed to seek formal employment and lived under Mugambe’s control in Oxfordshire, where the judge was pursuing a PhD in law at the University of Oxford.
“This was the most egregious abuse of status and power,” said sentencing Judge Robert Foxton at Oxford Crown Court on Friday. “You showed absolutely no remorse and tried to forcibly blame your victim.” He further described the case as “very sad,” acknowledging Mugambe’s once-distinguished legal accomplishments.
The court also imposed a restraining order preventing Mugambe from contacting the victim, directly or indirectly.
In a powerful victim impact statement read by prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC, the young woman described living in “almost constant fear,” haunted by Mugambe’s influence in Ugandan society. She stated that returning home was not an option, as she feared reprisal and may never see her mother again.
Haughey detailed how Mugambe exploited the woman’s limited understanding of UK labor laws and misled her about her purpose in the country. “There was a clear and significant imbalance of power in the relationship,” she told the court.
The victim has since been granted asylum in the UK on the grounds of a well-founded fear of persecution in Uganda.
In Mugambe’s defense, barrister Paul Raudnitz KC pointed to her “glittering legal career” and the support she continues to receive from colleagues. He confirmed that Mugambe has now resigned from her position as a UN judge, a role she was appointed to in May 2023, three months after police had visited her home.
Outside the courtroom, a small group of supporters gathered with placards demanding “Justice for Lydia Mugambe,” signaling the complex and divided public response to the case.
Despite her former reputation as a defender of human rights, Mugambe’s conviction and sentencing mark a sharp fall from grace, one that now serves as a sobering reminder of the very injustices she once pledged to fight.
