With summer events and festival season in full swing, Omny Group’s Health & Safety Director, Russell Cortlett, shares an update on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 – more commonly known as Martyn’s Law – and the considerations for organisations ahead of its implementation.
If you’ve heard people talking about Martyn’s Law but aren’t quite sure what it means for your organisation, you’re not alone.
Since the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent last April, many organisations have been asking the same questions. Does it apply to us? When does it come into force? And should we be doing anything now?
While there is still time before the legislation is fully implemented, it’s worth understanding what’s changing ahead of then. For organisations responsible for publicly accessible premises and events, Martyn’s Law will introduce new legal duties aimed at improving preparedness in the event of a terrorist attack.
Here’s where things currently stand.
What is Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law is the commonly used name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.
The legislation is named in memory of Martyn Hett, who was one of the 22 people tragically killed in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017. Following the public inquiry into the attack and years of campaigning by Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray, the Government committed to introducing legislation designed to improve public safety at venues and events.
The Act aims to ensure organisations have considered the risks, planned appropriate responses and are better prepared to protect people if the worst should happen.
Has Martyn’s Law come into force yet?
Not yet.
Although the Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, there is a transition period of at least 24 months before organisations are expected to comply. Current Government guidance indicates the legislation is not expected to come into force before April 2027.
This implementation period is intended to give organisations time to understand their responsibilities, review existing arrangements and prepare for the new requirements.
Which businesses will Martyn’s Law apply to?
One of the biggest questions organisations are asking is whether they’ll actually fall within the scope of the legislation.
The Act introduces a tiered approach based largely on the number of people expected to be on the premises at any one time.
Standard Duty Premises
The standard duty is expected to apply where:
- There is at least one building
- The premises are used for one of the qualifying purposes listed in the legislation, such as retail, hospitality, entertainment, healthcare, education or places of worship
- It’s reasonable to expect 200+ people could be present
Enhanced Duty Premises and Events
Additional responsibilities apply where 800 or more people are expected to be present and extend to events that take place on land without buildings.
This includes larger venues as well as certain qualifying events where access is controlled, such as through ticketing or entry checks.
It’s worth remembering that some organisations may move between the two categories. For example, a venue that usually falls within the standard duty could temporarily become subject to enhanced requirements if it hosts a large public event.
What will businesses be expected to do?
One of the biggest misconceptions about Martyn’s Law is that organisations will be expected to install expensive security equipment or undertake major building works.
In reality, the legislation places a strong emphasis on preparedness.
For organisations within the standard duty, the expectation is that there are practical procedures in place that people know how to follow should an incident occur.
These include planning for:
- Evacuation
- Invacuation, where people are moved to a place of safety within a building
- Lockdown procedures
- Communication during an emergency
For organisations falling within the enhanced duty, expectations increase. They will also need to consider wider protective security measures, including monitoring premises, controlling access, physical security and protecting sensitive information.
The key principle running throughout the legislation is that measures should be reasonably practicable, taking into account the nature of the premises, the level of risk and the resources available to the organisation.
Who is responsible for compliance?
The legislation places responsibility on the person or organisation that has control of the premises or qualifying event.
In practice, this could be a business owner, venue operator, facilities management company or another organisation with overall responsibility for how the premises are managed.
For enhanced duty premises, organisations will also need to identify a senior individual with oversight of compliance.
Although certain tasks can be delegated, the legal responsibility itself cannot be shifted elsewhere.
What should businesses be doing to prepare for Martyn’s Law?
While compliance isn’t expected to become mandatory until at least 2027, this isn’t something organisations should leave until the last minute.
The transition period provides an opportunity to review existing emergency procedures, understand whether your premises are likely to fall within scope and identify any areas that may need strengthening before the legislation comes into force.
Many organisations will already have elements of these arrangements in place through their existing health and safety, fire safety or business continuity planning.
Martyn’s Law builds on many of those existing areas, placing greater emphasis on planning, preparedness and protecting members of the public.
What happens if organisations don’t comply?
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has been confirmed as the regulator for Martyn’s Law.
The SIA will have powers to inspect premises, review documentation and investigate compliance. Where organisations fail to meet their legal duties set out in Martyn’s Law, enforcement action could include compliance notices, financial penalties and – in the most serious cases – criminal offences for providing false information or deliberately obstructing inspectors.
Helping you prepare for the future of public events
Although Martyn’s Law isn’t expected to come into force until at least April 2027, it’s already changing the conversation around public safety.
Rather than viewing safety compliance as a last-minute exercise, organisations have an opportunity to use the transition period to review their existing arrangements, strengthen emergency planning and ensure they’re well prepared when the legislation does take effect.
At Omny Safety, we work with organisations to provide practical safety advice and create proportionate health and safety solutions that support compliance without adding unnecessary complexity.
If you’d like to understand how Martyn’s Law could affect your organisation, or review your wider workplace safety arrangements, our expert Health & Safety team is here to help. Get in touch today to have an initial conversation.
