Martyn's Law, officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act

Some legislation changes the way we do business. Others change the way we protect lives. Martyn’s Law is the latter.

It’s a law born from tragedy, the devastating loss of 22 people during the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, including a young man named Martyn Hett. But it’s also a law about responsibility. About action. About doing what we can, with what we have, to make sure that people walking into a venue walk back out again.

So, What Is Martyn’s Law?

Officially known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, Martyn’s Law introduces new legal duties for venues and organisations to assess terrorism risks and take proportionate steps to reduce them. It’s designed to ensure that staff at public venues are prepared, trained, and confident in how to respond should the unthinkable happen.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re running a stadium or a small community centre. If your premises are open to the public and meet the criteria, you’re included.

Who Has to Comply?

Martyn’s Law applies to any publicly accessible venue that has a capacity of 100 or more people. That includes:

• Places of worship

• Leisure centres, cafés, and theatres

• Shops, bars, clubs, and event spaces

• Schools and community halls

• And Many more

There are two tiers under the law:

Standard Tier (100–799 capacity): Requires a terrorism risk assessment, basic staff training, and a simple emergency plan.

Enhanced Tier (800+ capacity): Requires more in-depth preparedness measures, including detailed security planning and regular exercises.

What Needs to Be Done?

Depending on your tier, you’ll need to:

Conduct a terrorism risk assessment specific to your site

Train your staff in awareness and response (e.g. hostile reconnaissance, “Run, Hide, Tell”)

Develop emergency procedures, including lockdown or evacuation

Review your plan regularly, or after any incident, change, or new threat

You don’t need to become a fortress. But you do need to be prepared. And that starts with understanding your vulnerabilities, and then doing something about them.

When Does It Come Into Force?

Martyn’s Law has now passed into legislation, but the government has allowed a grace period until spring 2026 to give venues time to prepare.

That doesn’t mean it should wait until the last minute. The earlier venues act, the better they’ll be positioned, not just legally, but morally to meet this duty of care to their staff, their visitors, and their communities.