Martyn’s law: what the new Home Office guidance means for events and venues

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 will introduce critical changes to public safety law in the UK. Nicknamed “Martyn’s Law” in memory of Martyn Hett, who was one of the 22 victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, it sets out the requirements for certain premises and events – broadly, those with a capacity of over 200 people – to provide protection and mitigate risks of physical harm from acts of terrorism.

Premises owners, occupiers, managers and many other people will be affected by the Act and will need to plan for the day when it comes into effect – most likely around April 2027. Those who fall within the scope of the Act will want to start to prepare now and should be aware of Home Office guidance recently published in April 2026. This article outlines the key points.

Who will owe duties under the Act?

A statutory duty will be imposed upon those in control of certain premises or organising events (the “responsible person”), who must take reasonable steps to reduce the vulnerability to terrorism attacks and mitigate harm to individuals if a terrorist attack were to occur. Responsible persons may include owners of a venue or premises, occupiers or tenants, facility managers, local authorities or employers. The Home Office guidance is clear that they “cannot delegate their legal responsibility” but may “delegate tasks”.

Broadly, the Act applies to publicly accessible premises. Organisations in the hotels, hospitality, leisure, food and drink, entertainment, sports and education sectors should familiarise themselves with the legal requirements. Venues have different duties and expectations depending on their capacity. The Act creates two tiers: ‘standard duty premises’ that can host between 200 and 799 people at any given time, and ‘enhanced duty premises’, which are venues or events where 800 or more people may be present. More rigorous duties will be imposed on the larger premises, as they are considered to be at greater risk from terrorism.

What duties are owed?

Standard duty premises

Standard duty premises must implement basic public protection measures. These will include procedures for: evacuating people; moving them to a place where there is less risk of physical harm; preventing people from entering or leaving; or providing people with information on the premises or at the event. No physical modifications (such as metal detectors) will be mandatory for this tier.

It is likely that many venues already meet many of these requirements due to existing health and safety legislation. The UK Government estimates that, for a typical venue in this tier, compliance will cost around £330 per year.

Enhanced duty premises

Premises in this tier must implement enhanced protection against terrorist attacks, to staff and the public, “so far as reasonably practicable”. Further measures may include arranging for regular risk assessments and security training to be carried out, CCTV coverage, entry screening and bag checks.

A designated senior individual must have responsibility for compliance with the Act. Directors and other officers of venues or events in this category will be at a significantly greater risk of prosecution if a breach is found.

Changes to licence applications: Requirements for plans

The Act also makes amendments to the Licencing Act 2003 and the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. New licence applicants will be required to provide a detailed plan for the local licensing authority’s use. A less-detailed second plan must also be provided and will be made available to the public. This second plan is less detailed so that venues can withhold any sensitive information that could be used to assist terrorist activity. Provision is also made for the replacement of old (non-compliant) plans in licensing registers.

Enforcement

The Act gives the Security Industry Authority (SIA) powers to inspect venues or events, and to sanction those who fail to comply with their duties. This will include powers to restrict events and the use of premises. All venues falling within the scope of the Act – both standard and enhanced – will have reporting obligations to SIA, which recently published consultation draft guidance that clarified how it will regulate the legislation.

Compliance notices will be issued in the first instance, requiring venues to carry out corrective measures. Serious or persistent breaches of the Act may result in the duty holder incurring civil penalties, criminal charges, and/or remedial orders. The most serious breaches can trigger fines of up to £18 million or 5% of global turnover.

Addressing your duties under the Act

Although the Act is not yet in force, those within the hospitality, retail, leisure, education, or property sectors should: consider whether they will be under a duty to comply with it and, if so, whether they will fall under the standard or enhanced duty tier; identify who controls the relevant premises; and ensure that all necessary procedures and compliance documentation is in place.

Some help is available. The Home Office has recently presented to Parliament statutory guidance to support those responsible for premises and events, including guidance on:

Scope as it concerns qualifying premises
Scope as it concerns qualifying events
Legal requirements under the Act, and where responsibility sits for those requirements
Compliance

Our Health and Safety team can provide comprehensive advice on the Act, and specifically on the actions that you need to take in preparation, including: