UN Judge Convicted of Enslaving Ugandan Woman in the UK

Lydia Mugambe, a high-ranking judge and Oxford PhD student, exploited her victim through forced labor and deception.

Lydia Mugambe, a Ugandan judge on a UN tribunal and High Court judge in Uganda, was convicted by a UK court of multiple crimes, including forced labor, human trafficking, and witness intimidation.
Prosecutors revealed Mugambe deceived her victim into coming to the UK under false pretenses, confiscated her documents, and forced her to work as an unpaid maid and childcare provider.
The court found that Mugambe conspired with Uganda's former deputy high commissioner, John Leonard Mugerwa, to facilitate the victim's entry into the UK in exchange for legal favors.
Mugambe denied the charges, claiming she treated the victim with care, but the jury unanimously found her guilty based on evidence of exploitation and abuse of power.
She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2025, and has been suspended from her PhD program at Oxford University.