New Terrorism Protection Law Sets Stricter Security Standards for UK Public Venues and Events

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law, represents a significant shift in the UK’s approach to safeguarding public spaces against terrorism. Scheduled to come into effect in Spring 2027, the legislation imposes new security obligations on businesses and organisations responsible for publicly accessible premises and events.

Risk management consultancy RiskSTOP has highlighted the importance of this legislation, which aims to enhance preparedness and strengthen protective measures to reduce the impact of terrorist threats. The law will require entities such as retail centres, hospitality venues, leisure facilities, visitor attractions, sports arenas, places of worship, educational institutions, as well as organisers of public events and festivals, to comply with specified security duties.

Johnny Thomson, Head of Strategic Planning at RiskSTOP, emphasised the transformative nature of Martyn’s Law for many organisations. He stated, “Martyn’s Law changes how many businesses approach security risk. For some, it will introduce formal duties they may not previously have considered, particularly around preparedness, public protection procedures and clear ownership of responsibility. It becomes law in less than a year, so now is the time to prepare.”

The legislation categorises premises and events into two compliance tiers based on the anticipated number of attendees: Standard Duty and Enhanced Duty.

Under the Standard Duty tier, organisations must implement practical and proportionate preparedness measures. These include notifying the relevant regulator when required, establishing clear procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, and communication, ensuring that relevant staff are trained to respond appropriately during an incident, and maintaining procedures tailored to the specific premises and operational context.

Enhanced Duty applies to larger or higher-risk venues and events, imposing more comprehensive obligations. These include documented public protection procedures, additional protective measures deemed reasonably practicable, strategies to mitigate vulnerabilities and reduce the risk of physical harm, and the production of a compliance document detailing the measures in place and their rationale. Furthermore, clear accountability at a senior organisational level is mandated, ensuring that responsibility is explicitly assigned.

Thomson further explained the practical challenges of compliance, noting, “In practice, implementation is less about buying a generic compliance package and more about answering clear operational questions, such as who owns the duty, how the expected attendance is evidenced, how shared or hired spaces are managed, and whether existing emergency procedures would actually work in a terrorism scenario.”

Failure to demonstrate a robust and transparent approach to meeting these requirements could lead to intensified scrutiny of an organisation’s governance and risk management following any incident. This underscores the necessity for businesses and event organisers to proactively assess and enhance their security frameworks ahead of the law’s enforcement date.