UN judge Lydia Mugambe guilty of modern slavery in UK court

United Nations judge Lydia Mugambe, 49, was found guilty at Oxford Crown Court of conspiring to break UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness. Photo / UN

• A UK jury found United Nations judge Lydia Mugambe guilty of modern slavery offences.
• Mugambe forced a young woman to work as her maid and provide childcare for free.
• Prosecutors said Mugambe exploited the victim’s lack of understanding of her rights.

A UK jury on Thursday found a United Nations judge guilty of modern slavery offences after she “took advantage” of her status to force a young woman to work as her maid.

Lydia Mugambe, 49, was found guilty at Oxford Crown Court, southern England, of conspiring to break UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.

The court found that Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, forced the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to work as her maid and to provide childcare for free.

Prosecutor Caroline Haughey told court that Mugambe had “exploited and abused (her 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”.

In so doing, she had committed offences under Britain’s Modern Slavery Act.

Court also heard that Mugambe, who was studying at the University of Oxford, had engaged in “illegal folly” with Ugandan deputy high commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa, arranging for the young woman to come to the UK.

Mugerwa arranged the victim’s sponsorship to enter the UK in exchange for Mugambe attempting to speak to a judge in charge of legal action that he was involved in, said prosecutors.

Mugambe denied forcing the woman to do household chores, adding she had “always” treated her with love.

The victim told the court she had felt “lonely” and “stuck”.

Mugambe was appointed to the UN’s judicial roster on May 26, 2023.

- Agence France-Presse