What is Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law, formally known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, is new UK legislation designed to improve security preparedness at publicly accessible premises and events.
The Act aims to ensure organisations responsible for venues where members of the public gather take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect people from the threat of terrorism.
Rather than focusing solely on physical security installations, Martyn’s Law emphasises preparedness, planning, and staff awareness, helping organisations understand potential risks and respond effectively should an incident occur.
The legislation was introduced following the findings of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, which identified gaps in how security responsibilities were defined for publicly accessible venues.
When Does Martyn’s Law Come Into Effect?
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, formally becoming law.
However, the Government has confirmed that there will be an implementation period of at least 24 months before the legislation is fully enforced.
This period is intended to give organisations responsible for premises and events sufficient time to:
- Understand their new legal obligations
- Review existing security and safety procedures
- Plan and implement appropriate protective measures
- Train staff and develop emergency response plans
During this implementation period, organisations are encouraged to begin reviewing their security preparedness. However, there is currently no legal requirement to comply with the duties under the Act until it formally comes into force.
The Home Office will publish statutory guidance during this period, helping organisations understand what is expected and how to prepare.
Updates will be communicated through official channels, including:
- ProtectUK
- GOV.UK
- Home Office communications
Why Martyn’s Law Was Introduced
Martyn’s Law was developed following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena in May 2017, where 22 people lost their lives.
The subsequent Manchester Arena Inquiry highlighted a number of shortcomings in how security planning and preparedness were managed at publicly accessible venues. While many organisations had safety procedures in place, there were often no clear legal responsibilities requiring venues to consider the threat of terrorism as part of their risk planning.
Campaigners, led by the mother of one of the victims, Martyn Hett, called for stronger legislation requiring organisations responsible for public venues to take reasonable steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks.
The result was Martyn’s Law.
The aim of the legislation is to ensure organisations responsible for public venues:
- Consider the threat of terrorism as part of their risk planning
- Implement proportionate security measures
- Ensure staff understand how to respond during an incident
- Improve coordination with emergency services where necessary
A key principle behind the legislation is proportionality. The law is not intended to require every organisation to install complex or expensive security systems. Instead, it focuses on ensuring organisations take reasonable and appropriate steps based on the size and risk profile of their premises.
Which Premises Are Covered by Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law applies to publicly accessible premises where members of the public gather in significant numbers.
A publicly accessible premises is broadly defined as a location that members of the public can enter or access, whether freely or through controlled access such as tickets, bookings, or entry points.
Examples of premises that may fall within scope include:
- Entertainment venues such as theatres, arenas and concert halls
- Sports venues and stadiums
- Shopping centres and large retail environments
- Event spaces and exhibition venues
- Hotels and hospitality venues
- Public buildings and community facilities
- Transport hubs and large public infrastructure
In some circumstances, educational premises or community venues may also fall within scope, particularly where they host events open to the public or operate facilities used by large numbers of visitors.
Rather than applying identical requirements to every venue, Martyn’s Law introduces a tiered approach based on the number of people a venue can accommodate.
This ensures that the level of responsibility placed on organisations is proportionate to the scale and potential risk associated with the premises.
The Two-Tier System: Standard Tier and Enhanced Tier
One of the central features of Martyn’s Law is its two-tier structure, which determines the level of responsibility placed on organisations based on the maximum capacity of their premises.
This structure ensures that larger venues with higher footfall adopt more robust security planning, while smaller venues are still required to implement basic preparedness measures.
Standard Tier Premises
Premises with a capacity of 200 to 799 individuals fall within the Standard Tier.
Organisations responsible for Standard Tier premises are expected to implement basic protective measures designed to improve preparedness for terrorist incidents.
These requirements focus primarily on awareness, planning and staff readiness.
Typical expectations for Standard Tier premises may include:
- Identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities associated with the premises
- Developing simple procedures to respond to security incidents
- Training staff to recognise suspicious behaviour and respond appropriately
- Establishing emergency procedures such as evacuation, lockdown or invacuation
For many organisations, meeting these requirements may involve reviewing existing safetyprocedures and ensuring staff understand how to respond in an emergency.
The emphasis at this level is on ensuring organisations have clear, practical response plans rather than complex security infrastructure.
Enhanced Tier Premises
Premises with a capacity of 800 people or more fall within the Enhanced Tier.
These venues typically represent locations where large numbers of people gather, meaning the potential impact of a security incident could be significantly greater.
As a result, organisations responsible for Enhanced Tier premises are expected to implement a more comprehensive approach to security planning.
Requirements may include:
- Conducting formal terrorism risk assessments
- Developing documented security and preparedness plans
- Implementing proportionate protective security measures
- Providing structured training for staff
- Coordinating with local authorities and emergency services
Enhanced Tier organisations are expected to demonstrate that they have considered potential threats and taken reasonable steps to mitigate risk.
This may include reviewing areas such as:
- Site access and perimeter security
- Monitoring and surveillance systems
- Communication procedures during emergencies
- Incident response planning
Who Will Enforce Martyn’s Law?
The enforcement of Martyn’s Law will be overseen by a national regulator, which will be responsible for monitoring compliance and providing guidance to organisations.
The regulator will have powers designed to support organisations in meeting their obligations under the legislation. These may include:
- Issuing compliance notices where organisations fail to meet requirements
- Requiring improvements to security procedures or preparedness plans
- Investigating serious breaches of the legislation
- Imposing financial penalties for significant non-compliance
However, the intention of the legislation is not primarily punitive.
Instead, the Government has emphasised that the law aims to encourage organisations to adopt a culture of preparedness and responsible security planning.
Preparing for the Impact of Martyn’s Law
Although full enforcement of the legislation will follow the implementation period, many organisations are already reviewing their security procedures, emergency planning and site safety measures to ensure they are prepared.
For organisations responsible for publicly accessible premises, this may involve reviewing areas such as:
- Access management and visitor control
- Monitoring and surveillance systems
- Emergency communication procedures
- Staff training and incident response planning
Modern security technologies, including integrated video security and access control platforms, can play a valuable role in supporting these preparedness measures.
Technology providers such as Verkada have also published guidance on how organisations can begin reviewing their security infrastructure in preparation for Martyn’s Law.
Supporting Organisations with Security Preparedness
At Fastech, we work with organisations across the UK to design and implement modern security systems that support safer environments for staff, visitors and the public.
Our expertise includes:
- CCTV and intelligent video monitoring
- Access control and site entry management
- Integrated security platforms
- Security assessments and system design
- Ongoing support and maintenance
As organisations prepare for the introduction of Martyn’s Law, reviewing existing security systems and procedures can be an important step in ensuring readiness.
What Martyn’s Law Means for Schools and Educational Facilities
Educational institutions are also beginning to consider what Martyn’s Law may mean for school campuses, academies and higher education facilities, particularly where large numbers of people gather for events or community use.
In our next article, we explore how schools can begin preparing for Martyn’s Law and what practical steps can help strengthen campus security: https://fastechltd.co.uk/blogs/martyns-law-requirements-schools/