The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is UK legislation designed to ensure the public is better protected from terrorism. The Act is commonly called 'Martyn's Law' in tribute to Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people tragically killed in the Manchester Arena attack.
It requires certain public premises and events to be prepared and ready to keep people safe in the event of an attack. With the legislation expected to come into force in spring 2027, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) has been established as the regulator. Here is what you need to know.
The legislation applies duties based on a tiered system related to the capacity of the premises or event. The standard tier applies where it is reasonable to expect that 200 or more people will be present at the same time. Meanwhile, the enhanced tier applies to higher-capacity settings where 800 or more people are expected.
If you are responsible for a standard tier premises, you must have in place appropriate public protection procedures to reduce the risk of physical harm. These protocols must include evacuation plans, invacuation (moving people to a place within the premises where there is less risk), lockdown procedures, and secure internal communication methods.
The role of the SIA as the regulator is to enforce Martyn’s Law by helping those responsible comply with the law, assessing that compliance, and identifying areas of non-compliance to bring premises back into scope. Their approach will involve desk-based assessments and on-site inspections. They will typically give at least 72 hours' notice before an on-site inspection, though they can ask a court for a warrant to enter without notice in some circumstances.
When assessing compliance, the SIA will focus on whether duty holders have taken "reasonably practicable" steps. This means they will weigh up what can be done to achieve public protection objectives against the cost, time, and difficulty of implementation, keeping the particular circumstances of all premises in mind.
The Government's intent is that those responsible for premises and events can comply with the Act without needing to buy specialist services. Venues do not need to spend money on external consultants to be compliant, and the Home Office and the SIA do not endorse any third-party products offered by the private sector for this purpose.
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