Martyn’s Law will make public spaces more secure and will ultimately save lives, but its success depends on the collective efforts of the Government, businesses and the wider community to prepare and respond effectively to potential threats.
Figen Murray OBE, the initiator of Martyn’s Law and a motivational speaker who has directly shaped UK legislation, turning adversity into a force for change, provides us with an update on Martyn’s Law.
The introduction of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 marked a significant step forward for protective security in the UK, but the horrific terror attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester highlighted the ongoing threats facing communities. It also showed the urgent need for venues across the country to implement measures that will better protect people from the potential impact of terrorism.
The terrorism threat level is currently set at ‘substantial’, meaning an attack is likely at any moment. At the same time the impact of geopolitical events continues to be felt acutely by different faith groups and communities here in the UK. In the year leading to March 2025 the Metropolitan and City of London Police recorded 23,228 hate crimes, which equates to around 63 per day or three per hour.
Increasing exposure to extremist content, misinformation and disinformation, and the divisive narrative being shared in public forums is creating an environment where dangerous ideologies spread easily and in some cases, transform into physical action – terrorism. The increasing support publicly for proscribed terrorist organisations on our streets is also a serious cause for concern.
Martyn’s Law will not prevent a terror attack from happening. It is designed to reduce the potential impact of a terrorist attack by requiring venues and events with a capacity of more than 200 people to consider the terrorism threat and to implement incident response plans such as lockdown, invacuation, evacuation and communication.
Implementation period
Following Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, the Government committed to a minimum period of 24 months for implementation. The response from businesses has broadly been reassuring, with many proactively working within the parameters under the current scope of the legislation. At the same time, there are some examples of rogue operators seeking to profiteer by offering products and services which they claim would make venues ‘Martyn’s Law compliant’.
Whilst it is important to understand what Martyn’s Law is and whether your premises or event falls within scope, there is currently no requirement to pay consultants for services.
The Home Office is due to publish the statutory section 27 guidelines which will set out a framework for requirements under the legislation. The guidance is expected to be published during the Spring months and the SIA will also launch a consultation on its section 12 guidelines to shape and strengthen its function as the regulator.
Home Office and the SIA
We regularly meet with the Home Office and the Security Industry Authority (SIA), who are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything is in place for enforcement. The Home Office is currently engaging with a broad range of stakeholders (particularly associations) as part of its consultation for section 27 guidance and the SIA has significantly increased capacity and capability through recruitment, with the notable addition of Laura Gibb as the Executive Director.
In recent weeks the Home Office has published a number of free resources, including infographics, animations and documents, to help businesses and venues to understand whether they are in scope of Martyn’s Law and what they can do to prepare. The links to these resources are also accessible via the Martyn’s Law Forum on LinkedIn which is open to any sector with an interest in Martyn’s Law.
As we wait for the publication of these guidelines there is much to be done at no financial cost to strengthen organisational security culture. Businesses can complete free ACT e-learning training via ProtectUK, conduct simple risk assessments at their premises, or consider lockdown, evacuation and invacuation plans in line with what’s already required under health & safety and fire regulations.
Campaign milestones
In the coming weeks we will reach another milestone for the campaign – one year since Royal Assent. These moments are significant but our focus remains on the commitment made in parliament by the Security Minister to enforce Martyn’s Law within 24 months, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Manchester Arena terror attack on 22 May 2027.
Martyn’s Law will make public spaces more secure and will ultimately save lives, but its success depends on the collective efforts of the Government, businesses and the wider community to prepare and respond effectively to potential threats.
Figen Murray OBE
Nathan Emmerich, Founder
