Terry Griffin, partner in our regulatory, compliance & licensing team, looks at the implications of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.
Known as Martyn’s Law, it will introduce new legal duties for certain venues and events to plan for potential terrorist incidents. The aim is simple: to make sure crowded places are better prepared, in the same way we already plan for fire and health and safety risks.
When will it apply?
The Act was passed on 3 April 2025 but will not take effect straight away. There is an implementation period of at least 24 months, so the main duties are unlikely to start before April 2027.
However, detailed statutory guidance has now been published, and the Security Industry Authority (SIA) has been confirmed as the regulator responsible for its implementation and enforcement, so organisations should start preparing now.
Who is likely to be in scope?
The Act applies UK‑wide and will only catch premises and events that meet certain tests. In broad terms, it will apply where:
- there is a building (or building and land) that the public can access, and
- the site is mainly used as a shop, bar, restaurant, leisure or entertainment venue, sports ground, visitor attraction, hotel, place of worship, healthcare site, education setting or public facility, and
- the number of people you can reasonably expect to be on site at the same time reaches the legal headcount thresholds.
- There are two tiers:
- Standard tier – generally where 200–799 people (including staff) may be present at once.
- Enhanced tier – where 800 or more people may be present at once. Certain large, ticketed events (for example festivals or concerts) will also fall into this category.
What will businesses have to do?
At a basic level, Martyn’s Law is about having clear, practical plans and making sure staff know what to do if an attack happens on or near your site. All in‑scope premises and events will need simple emergency procedures covering:
- Evacuation – moving people away from danger and out of the premises.
- Invacuation – moving people to safer areas inside if the risk is outside.
- Lockdown – quickly securing doors and access points where that will keep people safer.
- Communication – how you will warn staff and visitors and give clear instructions.
Enhanced tier venues and qualifying events will have to go further, for example by looking at their monitoring (staff vigilance and CCTV), crowd and queue management, physical security (such as barriers and layout) and how sensitive security information is handled.
They will also need a written compliance document and, where the operator is an organisation, a named senior individual with overall responsibility.
Importantly, all duties are limited to what is “reasonably practicable”, balancing the benefit of a step against its cost, time and difficulty. Many venues will be able to build on what they already do.
What should you do now?
Now is a sensible time to:
- identify which of your sites and events might meet the 200+ or 800+ thresholds
- review existing fire, health and safety and emergency plans
- start to map simple procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication
- raise basic awareness with staff about spotting and reporting suspicious activity.
Our regulatory team is already helping clients assess which premises and events are likely to be in scope and what proportionate steps they can take now.
If you would like to discuss how Martyn’s Law may affect your organisation, contact Harrison Drury’s regulatory team on 01772 258321.