KAMPALA, Uganda| The Government of Uganda has extended the application of the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Act to the United Kingdom, a move aimed at strengthening international cooperation on judicial matters.

This came after a statutory instrument signed by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Nobert Mao, on the 3rd of April and was gazetted on the 14th of April, 2025, which enables the transfer of convicted offenders between Uganda and the United Kingdom.

The Transfer of convicted Offenders (Application of Act to the United Kingdom) Instrument Statutory No. 37 of 2025 allows mutual transfer of convicted persons between Uganda and other Commonwealth nations, particularly in the United Kingdom, to serve prison sentences which cover nationals of their country , subject to established conditions.

However, according to legal sources and high-profile individuals, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, the statutory instrument was fast-tracked to facilitate the return of Ugandan Judge Lady Justice Lydia Mugabe, who was convicted in the UK by Oxford Crown Court on charges of trafficking a Ugandan woman to the UK under false pretences, forced labour, an immigration offence, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.

The prosecutors argued that Mugambe deceived a Ugandan woman into travelling to the UK, where she was made to work as a maid and provide childcare without pay. At the time, Mugabe was pursuing a doctorate in law at the University of Oxford. During the trial, the lead prosecutor, Caroline Haughey, said that Mugambe exploited the victim’s vulnerability and ignorance of her rights.

Mugambe denied all the charges but was ultimately convicted. She is expected to be sentenced on the 2nd of May, 2025. The transfer of convicted offenders permits the relocation of convicted persons between Uganda and participating Commonwealth countries to allow them to serve their prison terms closer to home. It sets conditions for such transfers and governs how prisoners are treated upon relocation. while the Act only became official through instrument No. 37 of 2025. Justice Mugambe , who was appointed as the United Nations Judge in May 2024.