The UK Government says that premises and events in the country will be better prepared to respond to terror attacks as legislation known as Martyn’s Law gained Royal Assent and became law on Thursday 3rd April.
Martyn’s Law, formally titled The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, will require public premises where 200 or more individuals may be present, to be better prepared and have plans in place to keep people safe in the event of an attack.
Larger premises and events where 800 or more people will be present will be required to take further steps to reduce their vulnerability to acts of terrorism – such as having CCTV, bag search policies, or vehicle checks where appropriate.
‘Martyn’s Law’ is named in tribute to Martyn Hett who was tragically killed alongside 21 others in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017. Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray, has been the driving force in campaigning for this legislation in her son’s memory.
Implementation period
The UK Government says that it is expected that the implementation period will be at least 24 months and there will be no legal requirement to comply until after this period. The Home Office will publish statutory guidance to assist those responsible to understand the requirements set out in the legislation. This is being designed to be easy to follow, needing neither particular expertise nor the use of third-party products or services.
