A United Nations judge and former fellow for human rights at Columbia University in New York, Lydia Mugambe, was recently convicted of the human trafficking of a young woman.
Lydia Mugambe, a Ugandan High Court and UN judge, was convicted in the UK for forcing a young woman into slavery and sentenced to six years and four months in prison.
Prosecutors said Lydia Mugambe made the Ugandan woman work as her maid and provide childcare for free.
Mugambe, who is also a high court judge in Uganda, was studying for a doctorate in law at the University of Oxford when the offenses occurred. According to her United Nations profile page, she was appointed to one of the global body’s international courts in May 2023.
Prosecution lawyer Caroline Haughey told jurors during the trial that Mugambe “exploited and abused” the victim, deceiving her into coming to the U.K. and taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights.
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jurors during the trial that Mugambe “exploited and abused” the victim, deceiving her into coming to the U.K. and taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights.