A British judge has said Ugandan High Court judge Lydia Mugambe Ssali showed no remorse and sought to blame her victim, as she was sentenced in a “very sad case” of modern slavery involving the exploitation of a young Ugandan woman she trafficked to the United Kingdom.
Judge David Foxton, sitting at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, May 2, found that Mugambe had presented herself as a benefactor to the victim but ended up subjecting her to unpaid domestic servitude.
He sentenced her to six years and four months in prison, ordering that she serve half of that term—three years and two months—in custody and the remainder on licence.
Being on licence means she will be released under strict supervision, and any breach of her conditions could return her to prison.
“She has shown no remorse,” Judge Foxton said in court, adding that Mugambe had attempted to shift responsibility onto the victim during trial.
“This was a very sad case. You are someone with a glittering career in law and human rights, but the jury found you guilty of an extremely serious offence.”
The victim, now an asylum seeker in the UK, told the court in a written statement that she lived in “almost constant fear” under Mugambe’s control and still fears returning to Uganda because of Mugambe’s prominence.
“Going back is not an option,” she said.
The offences occurred while Mugambe was pursuing her PhD at the University of Oxford.
She had worked at the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and previously made headlines in Uganda for her 2014 ruling against Mulago Hospital in a case involving a missing baby.
Despite her past human rights record, the court concluded that Mugambe had abused her influence and authority. Prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC said Mugambe had deceived the victim with promises of education and safety, only to trap her in exploitative conditions.
A small group of Ugandan protesters stood outside the court during sentencing, chanting slogans in support of Mugambe and carrying placards reading “Justice for Lydia Mugambe.”
Meanwhile, in Kampala, Justice Minister Norbert Mao confirmed that Uganda had signed a bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom to allow the transfer of convicted prisoners between the two countries.
The Uganda–United Kingdom Prisoner Transfer Agreement was formalised under Statutory Instrument No. 37 of 2025, which Mao signed earlier this year.
Under the agreement, Uganda may request the return of its nationals convicted in the UK to serve the remainder of their sentences at home—but only if the inmate has at least six months left on their sentence at the time the request is submitted.
This safeguard was designed to prevent purely symbolic transfers.
Mao told Parliament that Mugambe could technically be eligible for repatriation under the agreement, but given her relatively short sentence, and the requirement that she first serve half in the UK, any transfer would likely be limited to the final months of her term.
The Ugandan lady justice was also ordered to pay the victim £12,600 (about Shs58 million).
Mugambe is expected to be moved to a UK women’s prison within days.