Jane Marriott

Jane Marriott CMG OBE
Jane Marriott giving a speech at the Kenya national elections conference in 2022
British High Commissioner to Pakistan
In office July 2023 – Present
British High Commissioner to Kenya
In office Summer 2019 – 2023
British Ambassador to Yemen
In office 2013–2015
Personal details
Born	1976 Doncaster, England
Alma mater	Durham University, Darwin College, Cambridge
Profession	Diplomat
Awards	Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004 Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2023

Jane Marriott CMG OBE (born 1976 in Doncaster, England) is a British diplomat. Marriott was the Director of the Joint International Counter-Terrorism Unit. She is currently the British High commissioner to Pakistan, having been appointed in 2023. She was previously the British High Commissioner to Kenya, and began her consular duties in the Summer of 2019.

Marriott graduated from Durham University in 1997 with a first-class degree in History, and went on to complete an MPhil in International Relations at Darwin College, Cambridge.

Career

From 2013 to 2015 she was British Ambassador to Yemen. Marriott formerly served as an adviser to Richard Holbrooke during his time as a Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Marriott was appointed the British High Commissioner to Kenya, an announcement made on 13 June 2019 and took up the role from Nic Hailey; she was the first female UK High Commissioner to Kenya. She commenced her duties in the Summer of 2019. Marriott is currently the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, having been appointed in 2023.

Honours

Marriott was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004 and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to British foreign policy.

Controversies

In 2024, during the Asma Jahangir Conference, Marriott expressed concerns about the electoral process, noting that not all parties were allowed to contest, and legal processes were used to inhibit some political leaders and the use of recognizable party symbols. These comments elicited a strong response from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which defended its actions by stating that the law requiring intra-party elections was not followed by a certain party, leading to the removal of its electoral symbol. The court also clarified that the elections were held within the legally mandated 90 days of the completion of the tenure of the national and provincial assemblies. The Supreme Court’s registrar addressed Marriott’s criticism in a letter, emphasizing that the court had resolved the election date issue in just 12 days and that general elections were held throughout Pakistan on 8 February 2024.