Legislation | Martyn’s Law: An Overview of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025
Introduction
Martyn’s Law - formally
the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 - is one of the most
significant pieces of counter‑terrorism legislation introduced in the United Kingdom
in recent years. It aims to enhance the safety and preparedness of publicly
accessible venues and events in response to the ongoing threat of terrorism.
The Act is named in honour of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the
Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May 2017. The campaign for the law was led by
his mother, Figen Murray OBE, whose efforts have been central in shaping the
legislation.
The Act received Royal
Assent on 3 April 2025, completing its passage through Parliament after several
years of consultation, drafting and scrutiny.
It creates a legal duty for those responsible for certain premises and
events to take “reasonably practicable steps” to improve security, prepare for
terrorism‑related
incidents, and reduce risk to the public. These duties are proportionate,
tiered, and tailored to the expected occupancy of premises.
Background and
Rationale
The Manchester Arena
attack exposed significant gaps in the preparedness of public venues to respond
effectively to terrorism. Investigations revealed that many large venues lacked
consistent procedures, staff training, and vulnerability assessments. As the
threat of terrorism remained high - law enforcement agencies disrupted 39 late‑stage plots between 2017
and 2025, with 15 domestic terror attacks occurring over the same period, pressure
grew to introduce a statutory “Protect Duty”.
Public sentiment, combined
with campaigning from victims’ families, led the government to develop the
Draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill in 2023. After consultations in
2023 and 2024, pre‑legislative
scrutiny, and several amendments, the final Act was passed in early 2025.
Scope of the Act
The Act applies to
publicly accessible premises and events where it is “reasonable to expect” a
certain number of individuals to be present at the same time. The following
criteria determine whether a premises falls within scope:
·
The presence of
at least one building (or being located within a building).
·
The premises
being wholly or mainly used for specific activities listed in Schedule 1 (e.g.
entertainment, retail, leisure, education, hospitality, places of worship).
·
Reasonable
expectation of the required number of individuals present.
Examples of premises
likely to be in scope include:
·
Nightclubs, bars,
theatres, sports stadiums
·
Museums,
galleries, libraries
·
Hotels and
hospitality venues
·
Hospitals and
certain healthcare facilities
·
Large retail
environments, shopping centres, and visitor attractions
·
Universities and
higher education institutions (at standard or enhanced duty depending on
occupancy)
Notably, offices and
residential buildings are excluded, but public‑private spaces like major shopping centres are
typically included. Most parks and open-air spaces are excluded unless they
meet special criteria.
Tiered Approach:
Standard and enhanced duties
The Act divides
responsibilities into two tiers, depending on the number of people a venue
expects to host:
1. Standard Duty (200–799
individuals)
These premises must:
·
Notify the
regulator (SIA) of their duty-holder status
·
Complete basic
terrorism awareness training
·
Implement simple,
proportionate public protection procedures
·
Ensure clear and
coherent internal response protocols (e.g., evacuation, shelter, communication)
The focus is not on
installing physical security measures but on ensuring staff are trained and
procedures are in place.
Places of worship and
education settings (childcare, primary, secondary, further education) are
always within the standard duty, regardless of size.
2. Enhanced Duty (800+
individuals)
Enhanced‑duty premises must meet
all standard requirements plus:
·
Conduct terrorism
risk assessments
·
Develop and
maintain more detailed security plans
·
Consider steps to
reduce vulnerability (e.g., access controls, CCTV usage, bag checks if
appropriate)
·
Provide more
extensive staff training
·
Engage in regular
exercises and review procedures
·
Coordinate
closely with police and emergency services
Enhanced duty also applies
to large events meeting specific criteria (e.g., 800+ attendees, defined
premises, express permission required for entry).
Regulation and
Enforcement
The Act introduces a new
regulatory regime overseen by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), which
will:
·
Advise and
support duty holders
·
Monitor
compliance
·
Issue statutory
guidance
·
Enforce
requirements where needed, including penalties for serious breaches
A significant
implementation period of at least 24 months has been planned before the Act
fully comes into force. This allows time for:
·
The SIA to
establish its new regulatory function
·
Duty holders to
understand and plan for their obligations
·
Official guidance
to be developed and published
This phased approach aims
to ensure proportionate expectations on venues while giving organisations
adequate preparation time.
Key requirements for duty
holders
While guidance will be
published in 2026, the core obligations under Martyn’s Law include:
1. Risk Assessment
Duty holders must assess
terrorism‑related
threats appropriate to their premises or event - particularly for enhanced-duty
settings.
2. Public Protection
Procedures
Clear procedures for:
·
Evacuation routes
·
Shelter‑in‑place options
·
Immediate
response actions
·
Communication
with staff, public, and emergency services
3. Training
Staff must receive
training proportionate to the tier they fall under. Standard duty requires
basic awareness; enhanced duty requires more robust training.
4. Security Planning
Enhanced-tier venues must
develop formalised plans to reduce vulnerabilities - for example, reviewing
access points, developing searching protocols, or adjusting layout to deter
hostile reconnaissance.
5. Collaboration with
Authorities
Duty holders must
coordinate with law enforcement and emergency services to ensure shared
situational awareness and joint planning where required.
Impact on different sectors
Hospitality, Leisure, and
Entertainment
These sectors will be
among the most affected, particularly large venues hosting concerts, sports
events, or nightlife activities. Many already have security processes in place,
but Martyn’s Law formalises and standardises requirements.
Retail and Commercial
Landlords
Large shopping centres and
retail parks may fall under standard or enhanced duty. Landlords of
public-private spaces must consider new responsibilities, though most
office-based properties are excluded.
Education
Schools (primary,
secondary) and childcare facilities fall under standard duty only. Universities
may be subject to enhanced duty depending on occupancy.
Places of Worship
Always included,
regardless of size, but only at standard duty.
Special Measures
Categorisation
Certain settings may be placed under ‘special
measures categorisation’ where their vulnerability or the presence of
children requires additional oversight. Education and early years providers
always fall within the Standard Duty, but special measures may be applied if
risk assessments highlight increased vulnerabilities, complex site layouts, or
regular large events. In such cases, regulators may require closer monitoring
or strengthened procedures to ensure security measures remain practical,
proportionate, and aligned with safeguarding responsibilities. More information
can be found at the SIA's (Security Industry Authority), link in resource
section below.
Future guidance and implementation
Much of the detailed
operational guidance is still in development and expected during the
implementation period. Both government and industry bodies (e.g., G4S) have
emphasised that duty holders should begin preparing now - even informally - while
awaiting the finalised guidance.
The government has
signalled its intention for guidance to be:
·
Clear and
accessible
·
Not requiring
specialist expertise
·
Not mandating
third‑party
products or services
·
Supported by
tools, templates, and training packages
Conclusion
Martyn’s Law represents a
major shift in the UK’s approach to counter‑terrorism resilience. By introducing proportionate
duties, improving preparedness, and creating consistency across public venues,
the Act seeks to ensure that the devastating failures seen during the
Manchester Arena attack are not repeated.
While the full
requirements will roll out gradually over the next two years, the direction is
clear: public safety and preparedness are now statutory responsibilities, not
optional measures. The success of Martyn’s Law will depend on collaboration
between government, regulators, venues, and security professionals - anchored
in the collective commitment to prevent future tragedies.
Resources
Martyn’s Law – Factsheet
Gov https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2025/04/03/martyns-law-factsheet/
Protect UK - https://www.protectuk.police.uk/martyns-law
Protective security and
preparedness for education settings - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-security-and-preparedness-for-education-settings
Martyn's Law: the SIA's
new regulatory role: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/martyns-law-the-sias-new-regulatory-role/martyns-law-the-sias-new-regulatory-role
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