Do you own, manage or control premises where 200 or more members of the public may be present or are involved in an event where 800+ people are expected to attend? If the answer is “yes,” Martyn’s Law, may apply to you.
Don’t wait for Martyn’s Law to come into force. Depending on the type and complexity of your premises or event, you may need well over a year to get ready!
Premises and qualifying events will include;
- Hotels & restaurants
- Tourist & visitor attractions
- Farmers & Christmas markets
- Supermarkets
- Pubs & cafés
- Shopping centres
- Schools & universities
- Places of worship
- Holiday parks
- Exhibition & conference centres
- Festivals, concerts and nightclubs
- Community and fund-raising events
What is Martyn’s Law and when will it come into force?
Martyn’s Law, which is official known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, is expected to come into force in April 2027.
The new legislation is designed to enhance safety and security at certain “qualifying” premises and events. The aim is to minimise the risk of a terror attack and level of physical harm caused if an attack happened.
What premises and events will fall within the scope of Martyn’s Law?
Qualifying premises are premises where there is a reasonable expectation that between 200-799 people will be present (“standard tier” premises) and the premises are primarily used for one of the specified public-orientated uses set out in Schedule 1 of the Act.
Schedule 1 uses include the sale of goods, food and drink or the provision a service, such as accommodation, leisure or entertainment for visiting members of the public, and certain education and healthcare establishments.
Premises where 800 or more members of the public are likely to be in attendance at the same time and used solely or mainly for one or more uses specified in Schedule 1 will be known as “enhanced tier” premises and have additional duties imposed on them.
Qualifying events are buildings and land where there is a reasonable expectation that at some point 800 or more members of the public will have access and measures will be in place to check that they have paid to be there or have a ticket, membership or other entitlement to attend the event.
Public places, spaces and venues not used for commercial purposes, such as parks and gardens, will be exempt from Martyn’s Law.
Who will be responsible for complying with Martyn’s Law?
The organisation or person(s) in “control” of the qualifying premises or event in connection with their Schedule 1 use.
Responsible persons will include private and public landowners, business owners, tenants, building and event management companies as well as charities, religious and voluntary groups.
What will I have to do?
Those responsible for standard tier premises will have to;
- take simple, loss-cost, public protection measures to reduce harm in the event of an attack, such as locking doors, securing premises and identifying safe evacuation routes, and
- notify the regulator, the Security Industry Authority (SIA), that they are responsible for the premises.
The additional duties relating to enhanced tier premises and qualifying public events include;
- having appropriate, reasonable, measures in place to reduce both the vulnerability of the premises or event to an act of terrorism occurring and the risk of physical harm caused if an attack occurred there or nearby. These may include CCTV or other forms of monitoring, bag search policies, vehicle and identity checks and additional physical (permanent or temporary) infrastructure;
- keeping a record of your public protection measures and providing these to the SIA, and
- where the responsible person is a company or organisation, appointing a senior designated individual who will be responsible for ensuring that duties and obligations are complied with.
What should I be doing?
First of all, think about whether you control standard tier or enhanced tier premises or a qualifying event. If you are unsure, seek advice.
If the answer is yes, understand what your duties are going to be when Martyn’s Law comes into force and what training and guidance you will need to provide to employees and others.
In the event that you or your organisation are the responsible person for enhanced tier premises or a qualifying event, consider who will be appointed as the senior designated individual and whether you need to be having conversations with those who will be involved now or in early 2026 to discuss future planning and responsibilities. You may also need to review existing and/or proposed contracts and agreements, especially those covering multiple years or containing time-sensitive provisions and/or where the person in control of the premises or premises at which a qualifying event is to be held is unclear or open to interpretation.
What could happen if I fail to comply with Martyn’s Law?
In addition to providing advice and guidance, the SIA will be able to investigate suspected breaches of the law and take action against those who do not comply.
The sanctions for serious or persistent non-compliance could be significant. In addition to suffering reputation harm, the cost of getting it wrong include penalty notices, ongoing daily penalties for continuing non-compliance, compliance and restriction notices.
Providing false or misleading information to the SIA or intentionally obstructing or impersonating an authorised inspector could lead to an unlimited fine and/or a custodial sentence.
Guidance & Resources
The following links contain useful guidance*
Martyn’s Law Factsheet – Home Office in the media
*additional guidance will be published by the Security Industry Association prior to Martyn’s Law coming into force.
This article is aimed at providing general information. If you think that Martyn’s Law will apply to you, please get in touch with our Regulatory team to discuss how it will affect you and what planning and preparation you may need to carry out, or you can reach out to Steve Panton, author of this article.