Protecting premises against terrorism (Martyn's Law)
Use this page to find information about the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act - also known as Martyn's Law - and your obligations towards making locations and people safer.
About the Act
The UK Government has introduced the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. This legislation requires organisations and publicly accessible locations to implement security measures to reduce the risk of a terrorist attack.
The Act applies to certain activities and events with a size capacity. However, all can also use the advice and guidance to protect staff and the public from any major incident, not just terrorism. Serious violence or domestic abuse are two such examples.
There will be a period of time before the legislation commences - likely to be two years - which should ensure that businesses and organisations can prepare for the duty. Links to updates will be provided on this page. Free technical guidance and operational advice on protective security can be found at the links below.
National Protective Security Authority (NPSA)
What terrorism is defined as
Terrorism is the use of violence, intimidation, or cyber-attack to achieve political, religious, or ideological goals. It often targets civilians and attempts to spark fear amongst the general population.
What you need to do
According to the Act, any measures put in place should be appropriate and practicable for the individual premises or event. As a duty holder, you should take into account the nature of the premises or event, its activities, and its resources when determining what to take forward.
The procedures or measures put in place at one location may not be appropriate and reasonably practicable at another.
Check if your organisation fits into the proposed Protect Duty
The duty divides locations and venues according to their capacity: Standard tier applies to a capacity of 200 to 799 people, while Enhanced tier applies to a capacity of 800 plus people.
Locations/activities that are thought to fall within the duty include:
- shops
- food and drink establishments
- nightclubs
- social clubs
- entertainment activities
- sports grounds
- recreation and leisure activities
- educational facilities
- libraries, museums and galleries
- exhibition halls, conference centres and venues
- visitor attractions
- hotels, hostels, boarding houses and guest houses
- holiday parks
- places of worship
- healthcare establishments
- bus and train stations
- aerodromes
What the law will require you to do
When the Act comes into force, those responsible for qualifying premises and events must:
- Notify the regulator - the Security Industry Authority (SIA) - that they are responsible for their premises.
- Have in place, so far as reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection procedures that could be reasonably expected to reduce the risk of physical harm if an attack occurs there or nearby. These procedures relate to:
- evacuation
- invacuation
- lockdown
- communication
- Those responsible for enhanced tier premises and qualifying events must also have in place, so far as reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection measures that could be reasonably expected to reduce both the vulnerability of the premises or event to an act of terrorism occurring, and the risk of physical harm being caused to individuals if an attack occurs there or nearby. These measures relate to:
- monitoring
- movement control
- physical security
- security of information
- Document the public protection procedures and measures in place, and give this information to the SIA.
- Where the responsible person for enhanced duty premises or a qualifying event is not an individual (e.g., a company), they must designate a senior individual.
Do you need to employ third-party providers?
No. Premises and event organisers do not need to spend money on consultants to be compliant with the legislative requirements. The government’s statutory guidance will assist in determining whether premises or events are in scope of the legislation and, if so, which tier they fall within. It will enable duty holders to make their own assessments on how they will meet the requirements of the relevant tier and, in turn, make an assessment on whether they need to seek further support. Please be aware that neither the Home Office nor the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) endorse any third-party products or providers in respect of compliance with this legislation.
When the Act comes into force
The Act was passed in Parliament on 3 April 2025, and there will be an implementation period of at least 24 months. The Home Office will publish statutory guidance during this period.
Neither the Home Office, SIA, nor the National Counter Terrorism Security Office endorse any third-party products offered by the private sector in respect of compliance with this legislation. The government intends that those responsible for premises and events in scope can comply with the Act without needing to buy specialist services.
How you can prepare
During the implementation period of the Act and whilst awaiting the release of the statutory guidance, you can prepare by:
- reading about Martyn's Law on GOV.UK
- reading about Martyn's Law on Protect UK
- exploring training and resources on Protect UK