Ugandan Judge Sentenced in UK: A Modern Slavery Scandal

Ugandan judge Lydia Mugambe was sentenced to over six years in a UK prison for forcing a woman into unpaid labor. Mugambe, also serving the U.N., used her status to deceive a young Ugandan woman into coming to the UK. She was convicted under the UK's Modern Slavery Act.

A Ugandan judge, Lydia Mugambe, who also served at the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, was sentenced to over six years in a UK prison. She was convicted for coercing a young woman into unpaid work while studying at Oxford University.

Prosecutors highlighted that Mugambe, leveraging her eminent status, manipulated a Ugandan woman into traveling to Britain in 2022 as a domestic worker under false pretenses. Mugambe faced charges including conspiracy and exploiting labor through the UK's Modern Slavery Act.

Despite pleading not guilty, she was convicted at Oxford Crown Court. Judge David Foxton criticized Mugambe for showing no remorse, and the U.N. tribunal noted intentions to uphold its integrity. The implicated diplomat, John Leonard Mugerwa, faced no trial.

(With inputs from agencies.)