Mary Marre

Mary, Lady Marre born (Romola) Mary Gilling (25 April 1920 – 6 March 2005) was a British voluntary worker and public servant. She led the Marre Committee which investigated the future of the law profession. Its acrimonious conclusions resulted in the Courts and Legal Services Act in 1990.

Life Marre was born in Chelmsford. Her parents were Romola Marjorie (born Angier) and Aubrey John Gilling. She was the first of their four children. Her father managed a bank. She went to Chelmsford County High School for Girls before studying at Bedford College. The committee was established in April 1986 and made its report in July 1988. The committee had not arrived at a unanimous conclusion—with the solicitor members and six of the seven independent members recommending the extension of solicitors' rights of audience to the Crown Court, with the Bar representatives and one independent member disagreeing and attaching a Note of Dissent to the final report that undermined its conclusions. resulted in the Courts and Legal Services Act in 1990.

Private life She married Alan Marre who she met whilst they were both working at the Ministry of Health. They would gave two children a son and a daughter. He would in time become the Ombudsman. After he died in 1990 from cancer she and retired judge Alan Lipfriend lived together until he died in 1996.