UN judge 'exploited and abused' young woman she forced to work as slave in UK
13 March 2025, 17:49 | Updated: 13 March 2025, 18:09
A United Nations judge has been convicted of forcing a young woman to work as a slave in the UK.
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Prosecutors said Lydia Mugambe, 49, took "advantage of her status" over her victim in the "most egregious way" by preventing her from holding down steady employment and forcing her to work as her maid and to provide childcare for free.
Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, was found guilty on Thursday of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness following a trial at Oxford Crown Court.
As the verdicts were given there were gasps from the public gallery and the defendant appeared unwell and the court was cleared.
Mugambe - who attempted to use her diplomatic immunity to "evade justice" - will be sentenced in May.
Caroline Haughey KC, prosecuting, told jurors during the trial: "Lydia Mugambe has exploited and abused (her alleged 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."
Jurors accepted the prosecution's case that Mugambe - who was studying for a law PhD at the University of Oxford - had engaged in "illegal folly" with Ugandan deputy high commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa in which they conspired to arrange for the young woman to come to the UK.
Prosecutors said the pair participated in a "very dishonest" trade-off, in which Mr Mugerwa arranged for the Ugandan High Commission to sponsor the woman's entrance into the UK in exchange for Mugambe attempting to speak to a judge who was in charge of legal action Mr Mugerwa was named in.
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Jurors also accepted that the defendant conspired to intimidate the woman to have her withdraw her support for the prosecution or the charges against her to be dropped.
The charge said Mugambe contacted a pastor to assist in making contact with the young Ugandan woman, arranged for members of the woman's family to be contacted so they could persuade her to drop the case, and arranged for an email to be sent directly to her.
Mugambe's trial heard she had the intention of "obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself".
Mugambe denied forcing the young Ugandan woman to do household chores and said she "always" treated her with love, care and patience.
The young woman Mugambe tricked into coming to the UK, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court previously she felt "lonely" and "stuck" after her working hours were limited.
According to her UN profile page, Mugambe was appointed to the body's judicial roster in May 2023 - three months after police were called to her address in Oxfordshire.
Mugambe will be sentenced at the same court on May 2.
'Tried to evade justice'
Commander for Oxfordshire, Chief Superintendent Ben Clark said: “Lydia Mugambe is an extremely qualified lawyer, a Ugandan High Court Judge and a UN Criminal Tribunal Judge.
“As such, there is no doubt that she knew she was committing offences by bringing the victim to the UK under the pretence that she was going to work for the then Deputy High Commissioner at the Ugandan Embassy in London, thus providing her a legal route of entry, but knowing all along that she intended to make the victim work in servitude.
“Mugambe used her position of power as well as her knowledge of the law to take advantage of the victim, ensuring that she would become her unpaid domestic servant.
“After the offences had been reported to the police, Mugambe tried to evade justice by repeatedly claiming she had diplomatic immunity due to her status as a Ugandan High court Judge and, after her appointment as a United Nations Judge.
"Any immunity Mugambe may have enjoyed as a UN Judge has been waived by the Office of the United Nations Secretary General.
“I want to commend the victim for her bravery in coming forward to report the offences. I, and the whole investigation team, wish her all the best for her future now she is out of servitude and justice has been served.
