{"id":2985,"date":"2026-07-30T12:00:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fire-risk-assessment-network.com\/blog\/?p=2985"},"modified":"2026-07-30T12:04:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T12:04:33","slug":"martyns-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fire-risk-assessment-network.com\/blog\/martyns-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Martyn’s Law and Fire Safety for Venues"},"content":{"rendered":"

Martyn’s Law is the commonly used name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It is designed to improve public protection and preparedness at certain publicly accessible premises and events across the UK, but venue operators also need to think carefully about how new security measures could affect fire safety, escape routes and emergency procedures.<\/p>\n

The Act is especially relevant to venues, halls, stadiums, hotels, places of worship, education settings, visitor attractions, entertainment premises and public events where large numbers of people may be present. It is not fire safety legislation and it does not replace or amend your fire risk assessment duties, but there is a clear practical overlap with premises safety, emergency planning, evacuation procedures, staff training, communication and management arrangements.<\/p>\n

Fire Risk Assessment Network can help responsible persons, venue operators, landlords, managing agents and premises managers review fire safety arrangements, emergency procedures, evacuation plans and wider premises safety documentation. If you are reviewing your premises for Martyn’s Law, it is also a sensible time to review your fire risk assessment, evacuation plan and emergency procedures.<\/p>\n

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Quick Answer: What Is Martyn’s Law?<\/h2>\n

Martyn’s Law is the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It will require certain publicly accessible premises and qualifying events to put appropriate public protection procedures in place so staff know what to do if a terrorist attack occurs or is suspected.<\/p>\n

The Act uses a tiered approach. Standard tier generally applies where it is reasonable to expect 200 to 799 people may be present at the same time. Enhanced tier generally applies where 800 or more people may be present, with qualifying events also falling into enhanced-tier-style requirements. Places of worship and many education settings have special treatment and remain in the standard tier if they meet the 200-person threshold.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Is Martyn’s Law in Force Yet?<\/h2>\n

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. However, the substantive legal duties are not yet enforceable at the time of writing. GOV.UK states that the implementation period is expected to be at least 24 months from Royal Assent, and the SIA has indicated that it is preparing for the regime to go live from spring 2027.<\/p>\n

This means premises and event operators should use the current period to prepare, understand whether they are likely to be in scope and review existing emergency arrangements. They should not wait until the final commencement date if they already manage venues, events or public premises where staff may need clear procedures.<\/p>\n

The official GOV.UK statutory guidance<\/a> and GOV.UK factsheets<\/a> explain the Act, the scope and the requirements in more detail.<\/p>\n

Why Is It Called Martyn’s Law?<\/h2>\n

The Act is commonly called Martyn’s Law in memory of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. The legislation was introduced to improve preparedness and protective security at public premises and events.<\/p>\n

For venue operators and responsible persons, the practical message is straightforward: if members of the public use your premises or attend your events, you may need to think more formally about how staff would respond to a terrorist attack or suspected attack.<\/p>\n

\"Football<\/p>\n

What Premises Could Be In Scope?<\/h2>\n

Martyn’s Law can apply to certain premises that are accessible to the public and meet the expected number of people threshold. It is particularly relevant to premises used for retail, hospitality, entertainment, leisure, education, worship, public services, exhibitions, sports, events and visitor access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Premises or event type<\/th>\nWhy Martyn’s Law may be relevant<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Stadiums and arenas<\/td>\nLarge public attendance, event-day crowd movement, queues, access control, evacuation and communication challenges.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hotels and hospitality venues<\/td>\nPublic access, overnight guests, restaurants, bars, function rooms, conferences and unfamiliar occupants.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Community halls and village halls<\/td>\nPublic hire, events, changing occupancy, volunteers, evening use, evacuation arrangements and limited formal management systems.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Places of worship<\/td>\nPublic access, services, gatherings, community events and the need for simple staff or volunteer procedures.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Schools, colleges and universities<\/td>\nLarge numbers of pupils, students, staff and visitors, with special provisions for many education settings.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Concerts, festivals and open-air events<\/td>\nPublic attendance, temporary layouts, ticketing, stewarding, crowd management and emergency communication.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shopping centres and large retail premises<\/td>\nHigh public footfall, multiple occupiers, shared escape routes, security controls and communication across tenants.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

For related premises pages, see our guidance for stadium fire risk assessments<\/a>, hotel fire risk assessments<\/a>, community hall fire risk assessments<\/a> and open-air event fire risk assessments<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Standard Tier and Enhanced Tier Explained<\/h2>\n

The Act uses standard tier and enhanced tier requirements. The tier usually depends on the number of people it is reasonable to expect may be present at the same time, including staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Tier<\/th>\nTypical threshold<\/th>\nMain focus<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Standard tier<\/td>\n200 to 799 people reasonably expected to be present at the same time.<\/td>\nAppropriate public protection procedures so people working at the premises know how to respond.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Enhanced tier<\/td>\n800 or more people reasonably expected to be present at the same time.<\/td>\nPublic protection procedures plus additional measures to reduce vulnerability and risk of physical harm, where reasonably practicable.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Qualifying events<\/td>\nGenerally 800 or more people expected at an event meeting the Act’s criteria.<\/td>\nRequirements similar to enhanced tier, including documentation and notification duties once the regime is in force.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

There are important details and exceptions. For example, SIA guidance<\/a> explains that childcare, primary, secondary and further education premises, and places of worship, remain in the standard tier if 200 or more people may be present, even if the number reaches 800 or more.<\/p>\n

What Will Standard Tier Premises Need To Do?<\/h2>\n

Standard tier requirements are intended to be proportionate and low cost. GOV.UK explains that standard tier premises will need appropriate public protection procedures. These are procedures for people working at the premises to follow if they suspect an act of terrorism is occurring or is about to occur.<\/p>\n

Procedures may need to cover:<\/p>\n