Lydia Mugambe, a United Nations judge and senior Ugandan jurist, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison by Oxford Crown Court for enslaving a young Ugandan woman in the United Kingdom.
The 50-year-old was convicted of several offences, including conspiracy to breach UK immigration law, facilitating travel for exploitation, forced labor, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.
The court heard that Mugambe lured the victim—whose identity is protected—into the UK under false pretenses, then forced her to work as an unpaid maid and caregiver while denying her access to legal employment. Prosecutors described the exploitation as a grave abuse of Mugambe’s status and influence.
At the time of the offences, Mugambe was pursuing a PhD in law at the University of Oxford and had recently joined the UN’s judicial roster in May 2023. She was arrested three months prior to that appointment. When confronted by police, Mugambe claimed diplomatic immunity and denied wrongdoing, asserting the woman had come voluntarily.
Judge David Foxton, in sentencing, acknowledged Mugambe’s prominent background in human rights law but noted her lack of remorse and attempts to blame the victim.
The victim told the court she lived in “almost constant fear” due to Mugambe’s authority and said she fears returning to Uganda, uncertain if she will ever see her mother again.
Prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC said Mugambe had “deliberately deceived and exploited” the woman, taking advantage of her vulnerability and lack of awareness of her rights.
