A UK court has sentenced UN judge and Ugandan High Court official, Lydia Mugambe, to six years and four months in prison.
Oxford Crown Court convicted her of modern slavery charges in March and sentenced her on Friday, May 2, 2025.
The court found her guilty of enslaving a young Ugandan woman in her Oxfordshire home.
Mugambe, 50, was pursuing a PhD in law at the University of Oxford during the crime.
Police discovered the woman working unpaid as a maid and nanny in Mugambe’s home.
Presiding Judge David Foxton said Mugambe showed “absolutely no remorse” and tried to blame her victim.
He called the case “very sad,” noting Mugambe’s past in human rights advocacy.
The court heard that Mugambe fraudulently obtained a visa for the victim.
She claimed the woman would work at John Mugerwa’s residence, Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner to the UK.
Instead, the woman was taken to Mugambe’s home and forced into unpaid domestic servitude.
Prosecutors said Mugambe and Mugerwa made a mutual arrangement involving legal help and visa sponsorship.
Mugerwa was not prosecuted due to diplomatic immunity, which Uganda refused to waive.
Court footage showed Mugambe invoking diplomatic immunity during her arrest, saying, “I even have immunity.”
The victim, who remains unnamed, described her suffering in a statement read in court.
She said she lived in “almost constant fear” due to Mugambe’s political power in Uganda.
She feared returning home and losing contact with her mother.
Prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC said Mugambe exploited a “clear imbalance of power.”
She stated the victim had no knowledge of her employment rights and was misled.
Chief Superintendent Ben Clark of Thames Valley Police praised the victim’s bravery.
He said Mugambe knew her actions violated modern slavery laws.
He encouraged other victims to report hidden crimes like modern slavery.
Oxford University expressed shock over the incident and condemned Mugambe’s actions.
The university confirmed it had begun disciplinary proceedings which may lead to her dismissal.
The case has sparked international outrage and calls for stronger protections against modern slavery.
Legal experts say the ruling sets a powerful precedent against diplomatic abuse and labor exploitation.
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