Martyn’s Law summary

Adam Clarke
22nd April 2025

This Martyn’s Law summary explains the key points of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, which introduces new legal duties for those responsible for publicly accessible venues and events.

In this article, you will find clear guidance on who the law applies to, what the standard and enhanced tiers mean, and how your organisation can prepare for compliance ahead of the law coming into force.

Why was Martyn’s Law introduced?

Martyn’s Law, formally known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, received Royal Assent on Thursday 3 April 2025. Named after Manchester Arena attack victim Martyn Hett, the legislation reflects the tireless campaigning of his mother, Figen Murray, to improve public safety at venues and events across the UK.

Terrorist attacks are increasingly difficult to predict, targeting a wide range of publicly accessible locations such as music venues, shopping centres, and places of worship. Unlike areas such as fire or workplace safety, there has been no consistent legal duty for organisations to plan for or protect against such threats.

Martyn’s Law addresses this gap by introducing a consistent legal framework. It requires those responsible for certain premises and events to assess the risk of a terrorist attack, take proportionate protective measures, and ensure staff are prepared to respond.

What are the aims of Martyn’s Law?

Martyn’s Law introduces legal duties to ensure a more consistent and proportionate approach to protective security.

Martyn’s Law aims to:

Improve protective security and organisational preparedness across publicly accessible locations throughout the UK.
Introduce a consistent legal framework requiring organisations to assess and plan for terrorist threats, closing the gap where no such obligations currently exist.
Require duty holders, such as venue operators and event organisers, to consider how a terrorist attack might occur and how they would respond.
Mandate enhanced security measures for larger premises and events, including risk assessments, evacuation planning, and coordination with emergency services.
Ensure better preparedness and protection, helping venues minimise harm, act quickly in emergencies, and maintain public confidence in safety.

The current national threat level is substantial, meaning a terrorist attack is likely. This level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), based on intelligence and assessments of terrorist activity, capability, and intent.

When will the Act come into force?

Martyn’s Law legislation will not come into force for at least 24 months to give organisations time to prepare for the new requirements.

During this time, organisations will need to familiarise themselves with the legislation, assess whether their premises or events fall within its scope (see ‘qualifying premises’ and ‘qualifying events’ below), and begin planning and implementing appropriate safety and response measures.

This period also allows for the development of regulatory guidance and support structures to help duty holders comply with the law.

What are ‘qualifying premises’ under Martyn’s Law?

To fall under the requirements of Martyn’s Law, a premises must meet all the following conditions:

Include at least one building. This means open-air spaces like parks or temporary festival grounds will not usually qualify unless they are holding a large-scale event (covered separately under ‘qualifying events’ – see below).
Must be used mainly for a specific type of activity. The law applies to places used mainly for activities listed in Schedule 1 of the Act. These include public-facing locations such as:
- Restaurants and cafes
- Retail shops
- Nightclubs and bars
- Theatres and cinemas
- Sports venues
- Places of worship
- Hospitals and educational institutions.

In other words, the law targets spaces where large numbers of people gather as part of day-to-day activity.

Must reasonably expect at least 200 people on-site at any one time. This doesn’t mean exactly 200 every day, but that on a typical busy occasion (e.g. lunchtime for a food court or matchday at a stadium), at least 200 people are expected to be present. If that level of footfall is unlikely, the premises would not qualify.
Must not be specifically excluded. Some premises are excluded from the law under Schedule 2, such as certain types of public transport facilities, and premises used solely for private, residential purposes. These exclusions are designed to avoid unnecessary regulation where the risk or public accessibility is low.

What are ‘qualifying events’ under Martyn’s Law?

Some events, particularly large, public ones, are covered by the law, even if they do not take place in a permanent building. To be classed as a qualifying event, the following five conditions must all be met.

The event must:

Take place at a venue defined in Section 3(1)(a) of the Act. This means the event is held at a physical location, such as a park, field, or open land, that can be identified and managed for the purposes of the event. It doesn’t have to include a building, but it must be a fixed, controllable space. However, the event cannot be held at a location that already falls under the ‘enhanced duty premises’ category (See ‘What are the Martyn’s Law standard and enhanced tiers?’ below).
Be open to the public. The event must be accessible to members of the public, whether free or ticketed. Private functions (like a staff party at a private venue) would not usually meet this requirement.
Reasonably expect 800 or more people to attend at once. This refers to peak attendance. If, for example, a music festival expects a crowd of 1,000 people at any one time, it would meet this threshold. Events below this number would not qualify under Martyn’s Law.
Have some form of entry control in place. There must be a method to manage or check who enters (such as ticket scanning, wristbands, or security checks). This shows that the organisers have a level of control over who is coming into the event space.
Not be specifically excluded under Schedule 2 of the Act. Certain types of events or spaces are excluded from the law. For example, purely residential events or locations that already fall under different types of regulation. These exclusions are designed to keep the law focused on public spaces where the risk and impact of an attack would be higher.

What are the Martyn’s Law standard and enhanced tiers?

Martyn’s Law is divided into two tiers: the standard tier and the enhanced tier, each with specific criteria and obligations.

By delineating these tiers, Martyn’s Law seeks to create a proportionate approach to counter-terrorism preparedness, ensuring that venues of varying sizes implement appropriate measures to safeguard the public.

Martyn’s Law standard tier

The standard tier applies to publicly accessible premises with a capacity of 200 to 799 individuals.

Those responsible for such venues are required to implement straightforward, cost-effective measures aimed at improving preparedness for potential terrorist incidents. These measures include establishing clear procedures for responding to attacks and ensuring that staff are adequately trained to follow these protocols.

The focus is on practical steps that can be readily integrated into existing operations without imposing significant financial or administrative burdens.

Martyn’s Law enhanced tier

The enhanced tier pertains to larger venues and events where the expected capacity is 800 individuals or more.

In addition to the requirements set for the standard tier, responsible persons for these venues must undertake more comprehensive security measures. This includes conducting thorough terrorism risk assessments and implementing appropriate security plans to mitigate identified risks.

Enhanced tier premises are obligated to appoint a designated senior individual responsible for overseeing compliance with the Act’s provisions.

Who is the ‘responsible person’ under Martyn’s Law?

Martyn’s Law places legal duties on individuals who have control over qualifying premises or events. These individuals are referred to as ‘responsible persons’, and they are accountable for making sure the legal requirements are met at their premises or during their events. This includes assessing risks, putting in place proportionate security measures, training staff, and being prepared to respond in the event of a terrorist incident.

For qualifying premises

A responsible person for qualifying premises is:

The person who has control over how the premises is used for its main activity.
This is normally someone in a management or operational role (such as a hotel manager, shop owner, venue operator, or site manager) who makes decisions about how the premises runs day to day.
Determined by the main use of the premises. If a premises is used for more than one purpose (e.g. a large building with both a retail area and a community hall), the person responsible is linked to the building’s primary use (the activity that takes up most of the space or time). For example, if the building is mainly used as a shopping centre, then the centre manager would usually be the responsible person.
Not necessarily the legal owner. The responsible person is based on operational control, not legal ownership. A landlord who owns the building but does not manage day-to-day operations may not be the responsible person under the Act.

For qualifying events

A responsible person for qualifying events is:

The individual who has control over the event and how it is managed. This would usually be the event organiser, promoter, or production manager – whoever is coordinating logistics, staff, safety, and the overall running of the event.
Defined by control during the event, not the location itself. If the event takes place at a park or open land, the responsible person is the one running the event not the landowner. What matters is who is in charge while the event is happening.

How will Martyn’s Law be implemented and enforced?

To support organisations to meet the requirements of Martyn’s Law, the government is putting in place new structures and guidance.

Role of the Security Industry Authority (SIA)

The Security Industry Authority (SIA), which currently regulates the private security industry in the UK, will take on a new regulatory function to oversee Martyn’s Law. This will include responsibilities for advising and monitoring duty holders, such as those in control of qualifying premises and events.

Details about the scope and structure of this regulatory function are expected to be confirmed during the implementation period.

Guidance to support compliance

The government has stated that official Martyn’s Law guidance will be published to help organisations understand and meet the requirements of Martyn’s Law. It is expected to include information on assessing terrorism-related risks, developing response procedures, and meeting any training or documentation requirements.

How can Martyn’s Law training support compliance?

Martyn’s Law introduces a legal requirement for organisations to assess the risk of terrorism and take proportionate action to protect staff and the public. At the heart of this duty is training —ensuring that everyone, from front-line employees to senior duty holders, understands their role in preventing and responding to potential attacks.

Our Martyn’s Law Awareness training is for all employees working at publicly accessible locations. It explains the purpose and scope of Martyn’s Law in clear, practical terms, raising awareness of the threat landscape and reinforcing the importance of personal vigilance and emergency procedures.

For those with legal responsibilities under the Act, our Martyn’s Law (Counter Terror) training offers in-depth guidance. Aimed at duty holders and senior staff, it explores how to identify qualifying premises or events, conduct terrorism risk assessments, implement proportionate security measures, and prepare effective response plans. The course includes real-world scenarios to help translate legal duties into practical action.

Together, these courses provide a comprehensive and accessible training solution to support your organisation to keep employees and the public safe in line with Martyn’s Law.