Lydia Mugambe, a judge of Uganda’s High court and a member of the United Nations’ judicial roster, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison by a UK court after being found guilty of forcing a young Ugandan woman into domestic servitude.
The 50-year-old judge was found guilty by Oxford Crown Court on charges including conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forced labour, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.
During the trial, the court heard that Mugambe had trafficked her victim, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, to the UK under false pretences. Once in Britain, the woman was forced to work without pay as a maid and provide childcare, while being prevented from seeking lawful employment.
Caroline Haughey KC, prosecuting, told the court: “Lydia Mugambe exploited and abused her victim, taking advantage of her limited understanding of her rights to proper employment and deceiving her about the purpose of her travel to the UK.”
Mugambe holds law degrees from Makerere University (Uganda), the University of Pretoria (South Africa), and Lund University (Sweden). She was called to the Ugandan Bar in 1998 and is currently pursuing a doctorate in law at the University of Oxford.
