Ugandan Judge Lydia Mugambe Faces UK Court Charges for ‘Modern Slavery’ Offenses

Former Ugandan judge Lydia Mugambe, 49, of Lyne Road, Kidlington, has been charged in the UK with multiple offenses related to modern slavery and immigration breaches.

The charges against Mugambe include conspiring to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law by a non-UK national, arranging or facilitating travel for exploitation, and requiring an individual to engage in forced or compulsory labor.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police stated, “We have charged a woman in connection with a modern slavery investigation in Oxfordshire. The charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service and relate to one victim.”

The charges have drawn attention in Uganda, where Mugambe previously served as a judge in the High Court.

The Chief Justice of Uganda acknowledged the reports and stated that he is engaging relevant government authorities over the matter.

A formal statement is expected following further consultations.

Mugambe, who was formally charged on August 7, is scheduled to stand trial at Oxford Crown Court on February 10, 2025.

The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, will explore the details of the serious allegations against her.

Before joining the judiciary, she worked at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (UNICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania in the

Chambers and Appeals and Legal Advisory Division. On 18th September, 2020, she was appointed as the new Inspector General Of Government (IGG) in Uganda.

She has worked as a legal researcher at the International Bar Association in London. She is the winner of the 2017 Women’s Link International People’s Choice Gavel Award for her work on issues of gender-based justice; and the prestigious Vera Chirwa human rights award of the University of Pretoria, South Africa for her contribution towards advancing the socio-economic rights of the vulnerable and ensuring gender-based justice in Africa through her courageous and impactful judicial career.

Justice Mugambe was part of the distinguished experts that drafted the 2019 Abidjan Principles that streamline the involvement of private actors in the education sector. She has also contributed to the United Nations strategy on improving the implementation of socio-economic rights in Uganda and presented several papers on civil and political rights enforcement.