UN Judge Who Studied Human Rights At Columbia Guilty Of Enslaving Woman In UK

In a spectacular display of leftist hypocrisy, a Ugandan United Nations judge who studied human rights at Columbia University and received a prestigious human rights award has been convicted of enslaving a woman in the United Kingdom.  

Forty-nine-year-old Lydia Mugambe, who is also a Ugandan High Court judge, was found guilty of tricking a Ugandan woman of coming to the UK, where Mugambe proceeded to impede her from finding a steady job, instead compelling her to serve her as a maid and care for Mugambe’s children — all without compensation. The charges were filed under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act.  

“Lydia Mugambe has exploited and abused [the 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,” prosecuting attorney Caroline Haughey KC told jurors during the trial. 

Mugambe was in the UK as she worked toward a PhD law degree from the University of Oxford, where her presence no doubt padded the prestigious school’s diversity measures. However, rather than realizing her promise to become a notable alumna, she’s instead a notorious product of the program, as she’s been convicted of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.

Police body-cam video captured Mugambe’s indignant reaction when she was told by police that she was being arrested “on suspicion of keeping someone in slavery and servitude.” Mugambe told the officer, “I am a judge in my country. I even have immunity. I am not a criminal.” 

Lydia Mugambe, a UN & Ugandan judge, has today been convicted of bringing a woman into the country illegally & then forcing her to work as a slave.

Mugambe tried to evade justice by claiming she had diplomatic immunity, which has now been removed

https://t.co/g0nVYCPBl7 pic.twitter.com/duzVQET6Jk

— Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) March 13, 2025

Mugambe’s claim of diplomatic immunity proved hollow. “Any immunity Mugambe may have enjoyed as a UN judge has been waivered by the Office of the United Nations Secretary General,” Thames Valley Police commander for Oxfordshire, Ch Supt Ben Clark told BBC.

“A young woman brought in for the convenience of Ms Mugambe’s life but mistreated – mistreated by Ms Mugambe, a woman of power and intelligence who had no qualms in lying not only to [the victim] but to the police when they sought to ensure her safety and wellbeing,” said Haughey. Gasps were heard in the courtroom as the guilty verdict was announced. The courtroom was cleared when Mugambe, in the words of the BBC account, “appeared unwell.” She will be sentenced on May 2. 

The more one learns about Mugambe, the more dizzying her hypocrisy grows. In 2019, she received the “Vera Chirwa human rights award,” which is “bestowed on a person who has displayed dedicated human rights activism…contributed to a specific human rights cause,” and evidenced a commitment to “improving the lives of people in Africa.” As the Uganda-based Monitor reported at the time… 

She was recognised by the highly rated University of Pretoria in 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.

Now, a UK court has concluded that, rather than defending a vulnerable woman, Mugambe preyed on her instead. Nonetheless, don’t expect Columbia and Oxford to stop assigning scarce slots in their programs to culture-enriching people like Mugambe.