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Martyn’s Law, officially known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, introduces new legal duties for those responsible for publicly accessible venues and events to improve protection against terrorist attacks. It is also sometimes referred to as the ‘Protect Duty’. 

The Act aims to improve organisational preparedness and protective security across the UK, requiring that those responsible for certain premises and events take active steps to prepare for potential terrorist attacks and help keep people safe in the event of an attack. In addition, certain larger premises and events are required to consider their vulnerability to acts of terrorism, and, where appropriate, take steps to reduce those vulnerabilities. 

It requires organisations to formally assess the risk of a terrorist act, implement proportionate safety measures, and train staff to respond effectively. 

The Act is named after Martyn Hett, a young man who (along with 21 others) was killed in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017. The law aims to create a consistent, proportionate approach to counter-terrorism preparedness across the UK.

Martyn’s Law is important because it standardises and legally mandates counter-terrorism preparedness across public spaces in the UK, ensuring that these are equipped to protect the public.  

The law addresses dangerous gaps in safety by closing the loophole where counter-terrorism security was largely optional for publicly accessible venues.

This is also important because creating preparedness plans and test situations can help to make our staff more confident in their response during an actual emergency.  Learned behaviour increases self-assurance and confidence, which will help if they ever experience the situation for real.

The qualifying activities under Martyn’s Law, officially known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, refer to activities where the public has access to a venue or premises.  These activities are listed in Schedule 1 of the Act and include:

• Entertainment and leisure – such as concerts, theatres, and cinemas.
• Food and drink – restaurants, pubs, and cafes.
• Visitor attractions – historic sites and tourist destinations
• Libraries, museums and galleries – publically accessible cultural venues
• Sports – stadiums, arenas, and sporting events.
• Higher Education – Universities and higher learning institutions.
• Further Education – colleges and vocational institutes
• Health care – hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities.
• Public services – including government buildings and town halls.
• Places of worship – churches, mosques, and temples.

Martyn’s Law sets out a two-tier system based on the maximum number of people expected to be on the premises at any one time: 

• Standard Tier: premises with a capacity of 200 to 799 people
• Enhanced Tier: premises with a capacity of 800 or more people

Universities are specifically defined in schedule 1 of the Act and qualify as Enhanced Tier premises. 

There are stricter compliance requirements for larger premises qualifying as Enhanced Tier.

There will be an impact on the University around how it runs day to day, and some long-established procedures will have to change.

The University consists of circa 75 buildings, and the law applies at the individual premises level. Specific risk assessments are required for all buildings. 

The University is proud of being accessible and ‘Open to All’. However, Martyn's Law will require us all to understand there is a need for a fundamental institutional culture shift – this will include issues such as accepting there will be tighter access control and structured security measures and normalising these. 

Higher education institutions routinely host high-capacity, publicly accessible events – including graduation ceremonies, academic conferences, political debates, Welcome Week and other student activities – drawing in staff, students and members of the public.  We have a duty of care to take measures to protect them.

• Conduct a Threat and Risk Assessment 
• Identify vulnerabilities in the event of a terrorist attack and implement policies and procedures to deal with specific terrorist threats 
• Control access, egress and movement around the University  
• Establish clear procedures for dealing with attacks such as invacuation, evacuation and lockdowns 
• Ensure that all staff at the University undertake training so they understand what to do in the event of an attack, and how to recognise suspicious activities 

This means we will have to review:

• All our security arrangements and emergency arrangements will require review including access control, CCTV, security of information, etc 
• Access arrangements for buildings across campus – who, when, why, and how 
• There will be strict requirements for ANYONE organising any event of any sort – this includes student events, public events, lectures, talks, exhibitions, tours, engagement activities, Open Days, Graduation, etc.
• How University space is controlled, booked and secured for activities so that there are appropriate records of on-site activities at all times 

Martyn’s Law is enforced by the  , which acts as the regulator.

The SIA has powers to oversee compliance, carry out inspections, issue enforcement notices, and impose civil penalties on premises that fail to meet their duties under the legislation.

Under Martyn’s Law (Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025),  are structured according to the tier of the premises or event.  As the University falls into the Enhanced tier, fines can reach up to £18 million or 5% of the organisation’s global revenue, whichever is higher – so noncompliance carries significant financial penalties and risk of reputational damage.  

These penalties are designed to ensure that duty holders implement appropriate security measures to protect the public from potential terrorist threats. 

Training, information and other documentation relating to Martyn’s Law are available on the  

The University is currently running information sessions through the Staff Development Pages which are designed to give staff an overview of the legislation and the requirements – (LINK) 

Keep an eye on StaffHub for further updates on training and the University’s progress toward complying with Martyn’s Law.