A United Nations-appointed judge has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison after being convicted of enslaving a young Ugandan woman in her Oxfordshire home. Lydia Mugambe, 50, who also serves as a High Court judge in Uganda, was found guilty at Oxford Crown Court on multiple charges including forced labor, immigration breaches, exploitation, and witness intimidation.
Prosecutors revealed that Mugambe manipulated the woman—whose identity is protected for legal reasons—into traveling to the UK under false pretenses before coercing her into working without pay as a domestic servant and nanny. The court heard that Mugambe deprived the victim of basic freedoms, forbade her from securing formal employment, and exploited her vulnerability and unfamiliarity with UK labor laws.
During the trial, jurors viewed police footage of Mugambe asserting she had “immunity” and was “not a criminal” upon arrest. However, the evidence painted a starkly different picture, with prosecutors describing a calculated abuse of power. Caroline Haughey KC, leading the prosecution, told the court that Mugambe “deceived, exploited and dominated” the woman, leaving her trapped and isolated.
Mugambe’s crimes came to light in February 2023, just three months before she was appointed to the UN’s judicial roster in May of the same year. Authorities intervened after a tip-off led officers to her Oxfordshire residence, where the exploitation was uncovered. Despite claiming she treated the woman “with love, care and patience,” the jury unanimously rejected her defense.
The conviction sends a powerful message about the accountability of public figures, regardless of rank or international affiliation. Mugambe, once a symbol of justice, now faces the consequences of turning her authority into a tool of oppression behind closed doors.
