Ugandan High Court Judge Lady Justice Lydia Mugambe has been convicted for multiple immigration and modern slavery offences by the Oxford Crown Court in the United Kingdom.
At age 49, Lady Justice Mugambe—once hailed as a defender of human rights and judicial fairness in Uganda—now faces a potential life sentence after being found guilty of orchestrating a scheme to exploit a young Ugandan woman in the UK. The verdict was delivered on Thursday, March 13, after a unanimous jury ruled she had abused her position and breached the very legal principles she once swore to uphold.
A Fall From Judicial Grace
Judge Mugambe, who had been residing in Kidlington, Oxfordshire while pursuing her doctoral studies in law at Oxford University, was convicted of a series of serious crimes, including conspiring to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, requiring a person to perform forced labour, and conspiring to intimidate a witness. Additionally, she was found guilty by majority verdict of arranging or facilitating travel for exploitation under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The charges carry heavy penalties, with modern slavery crimes punishable by life imprisonment in the UK. For a sitting High Court judge and former UN judicial official to be implicated in such offences underscores the case’s gravity and its wider implications for the rule of law and human rights protection.
The Exploitation Scheme Uncovered
Prosecutors, led by Caroline Haughey KC, told the court that Mugambe lured her victim to the UK under false pretenses, claiming she would work as a domestic employee for Uganda’s Deputy High Commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa. Instead, the young woman, whose identity remains protected, was forced into unpaid servitude as a maid and nanny in Mugambe’s home.
The case came to light on February 10, 2023, when Thames Valley Police received a report that a woman was being held against her will at Mugambe’s Kidlington address. The subsequent investigation, involving several law enforcement agencies, revealed a disturbing picture of manipulation, coercion, and abuse.
Evidence presented in court showed that Mugambe paid for the victim’s flight and met her at the airport, only to impose harsh working conditions without compensation. Communications between Mugambe and Ambassador Mugerwa implicated the diplomat in facilitating the visa arrangement. In exchange, Mugambe allegedly offered to intervene in a separate legal matter affecting Mugerwa back in Uganda.
Diplomatic Immunity Shields Key Suspect
While Mugerwa’s role was exposed during the investigation, diplomatic immunity prevented British authorities from bringing charges against him. According to Thames Valley Police, Uganda declined to waive the immunity necessary for prosecution. Mugerwa was quietly recalled to Uganda in August 2024 under the pretext of the expiration of his diplomatic tenure, although sources indicate his return was linked to the scandal.
Despite initially invoking claims of diplomatic immunity herself—first as a Ugandan High Court Judge and later as a United Nations official—Mugambe was ultimately stripped of those protections. The United Nations confirmed it had waived any diplomatic cover, allowing the UK legal process to move forward.
A Shocking Betrayal of Judicial Ethics
The revelation that a senior judge—tasked with upholding justice—would orchestrate a modern slavery operation has been met with disbelief and outrage, particularly given Mugambe’s prior reputation as a champion of human rights. In Uganda, Judge Mugambe had once ruled in favor of marginalized groups and presided over landmark cases advocating for transparency and dignity.
During the trial, however, prosecutors painted a picture of a woman who “intended to make her life easier at the least possible cost,” exploiting a vulnerable young woman who found herself “lonely” and “stuck” with no option but to comply.
Mugambe denied the charges, claiming she treated the woman with “love, care, and patience.” Nevertheless, the jury rejected her defense, siding with the victim’s harrowing account of forced labor and coercion.
Judge Mugambe is scheduled to be sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on May 2, 2025. Legal analysts say the severity of the crimes and the position of trust she held may weigh heavily in determining her punishment.
The case has sparked wider conversations about the abuse of power by public officials and the challenges of holding high-ranking individuals accountable, especially when diplomatic protections are invoked to shield wrongdoing.
As Uganda’s judiciary grapples with the fallout of this unprecedented scandal, the conviction of Lady Justice Mugambe stands as a sobering reminder of the need for accountability, regardless of status or office.