Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2023 - MARTYN'S LAW

The UK government is progressing the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill—known as Martyn’s Law, in memory of Martyn Hett, one of the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. Although not yet enacted, the government has confirmed its commitment to introducing the legislation, which will apply across the United Kingdom.

 

Martyn’s Law aims to ensure publicly accessible locations consider the risk of terrorism and take reasonable, practical steps to protect the public.

 

Who the Law Applies To
Places of worship, schools, colleges, further education settings, community venues, and mid‑sized public premises are expected to fall within the Standard Tier.

Larger venues—such as arenas and stadiums—will fall within the Enhanced Tier.

 

What Will Be Required

 

Standard Tier (capacity 100–799).

Venues will be expected to:

• Provide basic terrorism awareness training

• Access official security guidance

• Create a simple, actionable preparedness plan

• Nominate a responsible person

• Register with the regulator

• Cooperate with proportionate inspections

These measures are designed to be practical, low‑cost, and focused on enabling quick, effective action during an incident.

 

Enhanced Tier (capacity 800+).

Larger venues will require more detailed security planning and risk assessment.

 

The Regulatory Body
A new regulator—expected to sit within the Home Office—will oversee Martyn’s Law. Working alongside ProtectUK, NaCTSO, and Counter Terrorism Policing, it will manage:

• Registration

• Compliance monitoring

• Inspections

• Improvement notices

• Proportionate sanctions for serious breaches

The emphasis will be on support and fairness, particularly for smaller organisations.

 

Preparedness: Turning Plans Into Real Protection

Compliance is only the beginning. What truly matters is knowing your procedures work when it counts.

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That’s where we come in.

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We help organisations turn written plans into real‑world capability by:

• Running realistic, scenario‑based exercises

• Testing communication and decision‑making under pressure

• Identifying gaps and offering solutions that only emerge during practical drills

• Ensuring staff understand their roles and can act confidently

Our approach transforms policies from words on paper into genuine protective measures that safeguard the people in your care.