A United Nations judge has been found guilty of forcing a young Ugandan woman to work as a slave in her home in the UK.
Lydia Mugambe, 49, who also serves as a High Court judge in Uganda, was convicted at Oxford Crown Court of multiple charges, including facilitating travel for exploitation, conspiracy to breach UK immigration law, forcing someone to work, and conspiring to intimidate a witness. She will be sentenced on May 2.
Prosecutors told the court that Mugambe abused her status and deceived the victim into coming to the UK under false pretenses. Once in the country, the young woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was prevented from securing independent employment and was instead forced to work as Mugambe’s maid and childcare provider without pay.
Caroline Haughey KC, the prosecuting lawyer, said, “Lydia Mugambe exploited and abused [the victim], taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights to properly paid employment and deceiving her as to the purpose of her coming to the UK.”
Mugambe was arrested at her Oxfordshire home after police were alerted to the situation. Footage released by Thames Valley Police showed her in shock as officers informed her of the charges under the Modern Slavery Act.
During the arrest, she insisted, “I am a judge in my country, I even have immunity. I am not a criminal.” She further claimed to hold a diplomatic passport, but authorities confirmed that any potential immunity had been waived by the United Nations Secretary-General’s office.
The trial revealed that Mugambe had conspired with John Leonard Mugerwa, Uganda’s deputy high commissioner, to facilitate the victim’s travel to the UK. Prosecutors described the arrangement as a “dishonest trade-off,” where Mugerwa arranged sponsorship for the victim’s entry into the UK in exchange for Mugambe using her influence to intervene in a legal case involving him.
Beyond the forced labor, Mugambe was also convicted of attempting to intimidate the victim into withdrawing from the case. The victim testified that she felt “lonely and stuck,” unable to leave or support herself.
Chief Superintendent Ben Clark of Thames Valley Police stated, “Lydia Mugambe is an extremely qualified lawyer, yet she attempted to evade justice by falsely claiming diplomatic immunity.”
Gasps were heard in the courtroom as the guilty verdict was announced, and the court had to be temporarily cleared when Mugambe appeared unwell.
She now faces sentencing, where she could receive a significant prison term for her crimes.
