Latest news with #LydiaMugambe
TimesLIVE
05-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Ugandan UN judge jailed in UK for 'egregious' forced labour offence
A Ugandan and UN judge was jailed in Britain for more than six years on Friday for forcing a young woman to work without pay while the judge studied at the University of Oxford. Lydia Mugambe, a judge of Uganda's high court since 2013, was appointed in 2023 to be a judge for the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which performs functions of previous tribunals relating to war crimes committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Prosecutors said Mugambe, 50, used her status in the "most egregious way" by tricking a young Ugandan woman to come to the UK in 2022 to work as a maid without payment. Mugambe was charged under the UK's Modern Slavery Act with conspiring with John Leonard Mugerwa, then Uganda's deputy high commissioner, to get the victim into the UK by lying on her visa application. Mugambe was also charged with facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work and conspiracy to intimidate her victim to stop her giving evidence.
Express Tribune
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
UN judge Lydia Mugambe jailed for enslaving Ugandan woman in UK
Listen to article United Nations judge Lydia Mugambe has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison by Oxford Crown Court for forcing a Ugandan woman into domestic servitude while studying in the UK. Mugambe, 50, a High Court judge in Uganda and PhD student at the University of Oxford, was convicted in March on multiple charges: conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel for exploitation, forced labour, and witness intimidation. The court heard that Mugambe tricked the woman—who had previously worked in her Ugandan household—into traveling to the UK under the false promise of legitimate work. Instead, she was made to work unpaid as a maid and nanny in Mugambe's Oxfordshire home, while being denied employment rights and subjected to coercion. Judge David Foxton said Mugambe showed 'absolutely no remorse' and used her status to exploit her victim, who lived in "constant fear." The woman, whose identity is protected, said in a statement she fears returning to Uganda due to Mugambe's influence. Mugambe also conspired with Uganda's former deputy high commissioner to the UK, John Mugerwa, who arranged the woman's visa under false pretenses. Prosecutors said Mugambe offered legal help in a separate Ugandan court case involving Mugerwa in return for his assistance. He was not charged due to diplomatic immunity. Bodycam footage from her arrest showed Mugambe claiming she had diplomatic immunity and was 'not a criminal.' The University of Oxford said it is initiating disciplinary proceedings. Police praised the victim's courage and urged other modern slavery victims to come forward.
NDTV
02-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
UN Judge Jailed For 6 Years For Modern Slavery Offences
A UK court on Friday jailed a United Nations judge for six years and four months after she was found guilty of forcing a young woman to work as her maid. Ugandan judge Lydia Mugambe, 50, was convicted under Britain's Modern Slavery Act of taking "advantage of her status" over the victim while studying law at Oxford University. The jury at Oxford Crown Court found Mugambe guilty 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 was told Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, forced the victim to work as her maid and provide childcare for free, while preventing her from holding a steady job. Judge David Foxton outlined Mugambe's legal accomplishments in his sentence, adding that it was a "very sad case". Mugambe engaged in "illegal folly" to arrange for the young woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to come to the UK. She was also convicted of trying to intimidate the woman to persuade her to drop the case. The court was told in a written statement during the trial that the victim described living in "almost constant fear" as a result of Mugambe's powerful standing in their home country. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
ITV News
02-05-2025
- ITV News
UN judge who forced young woman to work as slave at Oxfordshire home jailed
When Mugambe was arrested, she claimed she had diplomatic immunity to Thames Valley Police A United Nations judge who forced a young woman to work as her slave has been sentenced to six years and four months having been convicted for a host of modern slavery offences at Oxford Crown Court. Lydia Mugambe, 50, brought a Ugandan woman with her when she moved to Oxford to study for her PHD - forcing her to be an unpaid maid and childminder. Judge Mr Justice Foxton told Mugambe she will serve half of her sentence in prison and the rest on licence. The victim, who has been granted anonymity for life, said: 'My existence to Lydia was not important. It make me feel unhappy. "Because first of all, I couldn't speak to her because I feared her. "The first job which she had promised me when I came, it wasn't there. "She never paid me. She stopped me from working - because she said it wasn't balanced with the times for the children." In February 2023, after receiving a report that the victim was being held as a slave, Mugambe was arrested at her address in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Following a trial in March 2025, Mugambe was found guilty of conspiring to do an act to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, one count of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, one count of conspiracy to intimidate a witness and one count of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation. During her time with Mugambe in the UK, the victim's passport was taken off her and she felt trapped. Rona, not her real name, said: "She took advantage of me, because from when I arrived the promise was not there. "Even when I worked, I was not paid. She was also stopping me from going out to work, so I had no hope. "She was just despising me. She made out that because she had brought me here, it was a great help for me." Latest Home Office figures from 2024 show 19,000 possible victims of modern slavery were referred to them by police in the UK. In the Thames Valley, there were 491 referrals in 2024 - up almost half (44%) from 2020. The trial heard that Mugambe had the intention of 'obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself'. 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." 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. 'Modern slavery is an under reported crime and I hope that the bravery of the victim in this case encourages other victims of modern slavery to come forward. 'If you are a victim or have information about modern slavery then please contact Thames Valley Police. We will listen and we will help you. 'You can contact us by visiting a police station, leaving details via our website or by calling 101.'
News24
02-05-2025
- Politics
- News24
UN judge jailed for 6 years for modern slavery offences
A UK court on Friday jailed a United Nations (UN) judge for six years and four months after she was found guilty of forcing a young woman to work as her maid. Ugandan judge Lydia Mugambe, 50, was convicted under Britain's Modern Slavery Act of taking "advantage of her status" over the victim while studying law at Oxford University. The jury at Oxford Crown Court found Mugambe guilty 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 was told Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, forced the victim to work as her maid and provide childcare for free, while preventing her from holding a steady job. Judge David Foxton outlined Mugambe's legal accomplishments in his sentence, adding that it was a "very sad case". Mugambe engaged in "illegal folly" to arrange for the young woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to come to the UK. She was also convicted of trying to intimidate the woman to persuade her to drop the case. The court was told in a written statement during the trial that the victim described living in "almost constant fear" as a result of Mugambe's powerful standing in their home country.
