Martyn’s Law, a bill set to become UK legislation is expected to enhance security of events and certain premises, but what is it and how does your organisation remain compliant with this?
Set to transform public safety and boost the protection of events and other premises across the UK from terrorism, Martyn’s Law was enacted earlier this year in order to do so.
However, this enactment is expected to provide at least a 24 month implementation process before it comes into full effect to allow for those organisations who need to comply, time to do so.
The introduction of this Bill came following a campaign carried out by Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack, who drove this Act into enactment.
Below we establish what Martyn’s Law is, which organisations need to be compliant and steps organisations need to take to be compliant with this:
What is Martyn’s Law?
Also referred to as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, Martyn’s Law is a recent piece of legislation to be enacted in the UK.
Its aim is to enhance public security at specified venues and public spaces to help prepare and protect against acts of terrorism, like what was faced in 2017 with the Manchester Arena attack.
Essentially, those expected to be compliant with the Law are encouraged to consider their response to terrorism and the potential threat this could place towards their event or public space.
Following this consideration, organisations are to take appropriate steps under the Law to better their security against acts of terrorism. This focuses heavily on larger premises and events.
The Act provides guidance on the relevant steps organisations should take to protect themselves against terrorism and improve the public safety provided to employees and attendees.
Who Needs to be Compliant With Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law utilises a tiered approach based on the number of individuals expected to be present at the premise or event at one time.
There are two tiers:
- Standard Tier - This represents venues expecting between 200 to 799 individuals. Most mid-size venues will fall into this category including restaurants, shops and moderate events spaces).
- Enhanced Tier - This represents venues expecting 800 or more individuals where there are greater risks posed due to crowd sizes. This covers large venues with often higher footfall expected like arenas, sporting events and large shopping centres.
To understand whether your premises or organisation will need to comply with this Law under the Standard tier will be dependent on if you are classified as being within the scope of the following set of requirements, in addition to the statement above:
- There is at least one building or the premises is within a building
- The premises is used mostly or solely for one or more of the uses set out in the Act - Some of which include retail, entertainment, sports, restaurants and bars, hotels and attraction centres
- The event or premises is not excluded under the Act
The Enhanced tier represents organisations and premises expected to pose greater risks to public safety and terrorism, and due to this, there is additional criteria in which they would need to fall within:
- The premises is accessible to members of the public for the purpose of the event
- There are measures in place to check the entry conditions are met, which includes ticket or wristband checks
- The event or premises, including areas without buildings, are not enhanced duty premises
- The event or premises is not excluded under the Act
Any organisations or events that fall within the Standard or Enhanced tier will be expected to adhere to Martyn’s Law as expected under that specified tier.
But, who is responsible for upholding Martyn’s Law at their organisation or premises?
Who is Responsible For Complying With Martyn’s Law For Their Event or Premises?
The individuals responsible for complying with Martyn’s Law depends on if it is related to the event or the premises, as both are treated differently under this act.
For premises that fall within the scope of qualification, the responsible person will be that of the person who is in control of the premises in connection to the purpose of it, for example retail or entertainment.
Where there are multiple connections, the person responsible will be that of who is in control of the premises where their connection is the principal use for it.
Whereas for events that fall within the scope of qualification, the responsible person is considered to be the person who has control of the premises where the event is being held. However, the circumstances will need to be considered when determining who is responsible.
For example, if a festival utilises a park to hold their event and looks to take over the park for the purpose of the festival, the company putting on the event will be those held responsible under Martyn’s Law.
A Guide to Event Security: How to be Compliant With Martyn’s Law
If, having read the above information, you believe your organisation falls within the scope of Martyn’s Law, you need to consider your next steps to ensure compliance with this.
Although there is an implementation phase, getting ahead on your compliance is beneficial for many reasons including and most importantly, enhancing your response to terrorism and increasing public safety at your event or premises.
To help you plan for the future, we have outlined 5 key steps your organisation should take to ensure you are compliant with Martyn’s Law, now and in readiness for the future:
Research and Understand Martyn’s Law Relating to Your Organisation
The first step towards Martyn’s Law compliance is to understand whether it is relevant to your organisation.
To do this, you need to review the criteria set out in the Act against your event and/or premises. If you find that you fall into one of the tiers, this means that your organisation is expected to be compliant to Martyn’s Law.
Each tier will have its own safety and security regulations that you will need to uphold in order to mitigate risk presented to your event or premises.
For the Enhanced tier, the rules will often be stricter due to the larger crowd capacity, however, smaller businesses will still have expectations to uphold.
Review your Current Security Protocols and Complete an Audit
Once you’ve confirmed if your company falls under Martyn’s Law, the next step is to complete a review on your current security protocols and complete a full audit to establish if your existing security measures match the requirements laid out.
Below outlines the key areas where a comprehensive security audit should be completed:
- Risk assessment measures - How do you risk assess your premises or event?
- Employee training and policies - What training do your employees receive?
- Physical security resources - What physical security protocols have you currently got in place?
- Access control provisions - What access control do you have in place? And how do you monitor access?
- Technological security procedures - How are you monitoring your security?
For many organisations, they will have the same security procedures and strategies in place that they have had for a long period of time. This means that those protocols may be out-of-date or not fit for purpose anymore.
A thorough audit can help those responsible under the Act gain clarity on how well the current measures work and if they meet the criteria set.
If it is found that the current measures in place are not fit for purpose any longer, the audit will highlight this and you’ll be able to look into how you can improve this.
Under the Legislation, the risk assessment process in which an audit supports will ensure any inefficiencies are eliminated like having duplicate security measures or any irrelevant processes in place.
Complete a Thorough Risk Assessment and Seek Professional Support
Following an audit, you will need to complete a security risk assessment of your premises or event. Ideally, this will be completed by an external body, so that there is a fresh pair of eyes reviewing it.
You have likely completed a risk assessment before as event organisers and premises owners as they are often mandatory, however, it’s vital that you upkeep these on a regular basis to ensure you are not neglecting certain areas or missing new dangers.
Once this is completed, you should document this and store this safely.
The aim of a risk assessment is not only to uncover risks, gaps or areas of concern, but also establish the threat level to your premises or event. This includes the likelihood of particular risks and the predicted occurrence level.
From here, you can begin to form the public protection measures you require, which is a key area under Martyn’s Law.
Document Any Public Protection Measures
For both the Standard and Enhanced tier, you are expected to have appropriate public protection procedures in place.
However, for the advanced tier, you will be expected to document the public protection procedures and measures in place or that are being proposed.
This is to include the measures being put in place or already in place for the event or premises and an assessment of the public protection procedures and measures you have included or proposed to help reduce vulnerability and/or risk of harm.
By documenting this, the regulatory body is able to review your process and ensure you’re remaining compliant with Martyn’s Law.
Non-compliance can lead to financial penalties, with a maximum fine of up to £10,000 for Standard tier companies and up to £18 million or 5% of worldwide turnover for Enhanced tier companies.
Enhance Your Security Measures to Comply With Martyn’s Law
Following all the relevant assessments, you need to review any proposed improvements to your security measures and implement them within your premises or event.
This could be staggered or completed immediately depending on what is best for both your business and the public’s safety.
You should ensure that any enhancements made, that the security companies you’re working with are knowledgeable with Martyn’s Law and their measures would align with the regulations set out in the Act.
The main aim is to improve public safety and protect against terrorism, so research into the security companies and their offerings. Whether it is implementing stronger perimeter fencing or installing new mobile CCTV systems, you need to be confident that they support your needs.
We pride ourselves on our innovative attitude towards security and this has ensured we remain ahead of Laws and Legislation, including Martyn’s Law.
All our products are backed by remote monitoring services which means trained security professionals monitor your live feed, assess any threats and respond in a prompt and appropriate manner.
This response could range from sirens and liv voice-down audio challenges to calling the Police to the scene if needed.
Our CCTV Towers also work as visible criminal deterrents, standing up to 6 metres tall and painted yellow, they create a strong security presence that is unmistakable to intruders, even at crowded events.
Why Choose WCCTV For Your Event Security to Comply With Martyn’s Law?
Being market-leaders ourselves in security solutions for over 20-years, we have built relationships and gained insight into the events industry and the challenges they face.
To ensure we remain innovative in the support we provide, we work continuously to remain ahead of Laws and Legislation, establishing the best ways in which we can support you.
We understand that changes to Laws and Legislation can create fear regarding the security of your business, any expenses and the general impact it will have on the events itself.
Adjusting and adhering to Martyn’s Law will look different for every event organiser and premises owner, and the best approach will vary depending on this.
For some, this may be implementing those security changes with immediate effect and for others, a staggered approach may be better to suit any preset budgets you have.
By following the above steps and working with an established security company like WCCTV, you can enhance the security of your event or premises at your own pace, whilst keeping public safety at the centre of it all.
When you choose WCCTV, unlike our competitors, we offer a fully-managed security service from start-to-finish.
From having one of our trained professionals assess the event space or premises to backing our products with remote monitoring services. Every tool we provide helps us remain proactive in our response and alleviate any security burdens from your organisation, so you can focus on your other key responsibilities.
Interested in how we can support you with your event security?
Speak with an expert today and begin your journey to Martyn’s Law compliance.
