Lydia Mugambe, a United Nations judge and prominent Ugandan High Court justice, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for keeping a young Ugandan woman in domestic servitude at her home in Oxfordshire, England.
The 50-year-old, who was studying for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford, was convicted of modern slavery offences in March. On Friday, she was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court, where Judge David Foxton condemned her lack of remorse and her attempt to shift blame onto her victim.
“This was a calculated and sustained abuse of power,” Judge Foxton told the court. “You showed absolutely no remorse and attempted to forcibly blame your victim for what happened.”
Lydia Mugambe Exploited Her Status and Victim’s Vulnerability
The court heard that Lydia Mugambe orchestrated a fraudulent visa application for the young woman, falsely claiming she would work as a paid domestic employee at the official residence of John Mugerwa, Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner to the UK.
Instead, the woman was trafficked to Mugambe’s private residence in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, where she was forced to work as a maid and nanny—without pay. Prosecutors revealed that in exchange for sponsoring the visa, Mugambe agreed to assist Mr Mugerwa in a separate court case in Uganda where he was a defendant.
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Mugambe paid for the victim’s flight and collected her from the airport herself, only to subject her to months of unpaid labour, according to evidence presented in court. The woman was effectively enslaved, living under the control of one of Uganda’s most prominent legal figures while being denied basic employment rights.
Victim Lived in Fear of Lydia Mugambe’s Power and Influence
In a powerful victim impact statement read in court by prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC, the young woman described her ordeal:
“I lived in almost constant fear because of who Lydia Mugambe is in Uganda. I can’t go back. I may never see my mother again.”
Haughey added that Mugambe had “exploited the victim’s lack of knowledge about UK laws and misled her about the purpose of her journey.” She said the case represented a clear and significant imbalance of power.
The judge acknowledged the tragic irony that Lydia Mugambe, who had previously worked to protect human rights, had herself committed serious human rights violations. Her once-celebrated legal career, including work at the United Nations and Uganda’s High Court, now lies in ruins.
Legal Ramifications and Institutional Responses
Although the Crown Prosecution Service had authorized police to charge John Mugerwa with conspiracy, he was not prosecuted due to diplomatic immunity—a protection the Ugandan government refused to waive.
Mugambe, meanwhile, denied the allegations throughout the trial, insisting she treated the victim “with love, care, and patience.” But Chief Superintendent Ben Clark of Thames Valley Police said there was “no doubt” she knowingly committed serious offences.
“Modern slavery is an underreported crime,” he said. “I hope the bravery of the victim in this case encourages others to come forward.”
The University of Oxford expressed deep concern over the incident, stating:
“The university is appalled by the actions of Lydia Mugambe. A disciplinary process has been initiated and may lead to her removal from the university.”
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