Introduction
Martyn’s Law — formally known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill — is set to change how venues and event organisers approach safety in the UK.
While the legislation is still progressing, its direction is clear:
publicly accessible venues must take responsibility for preparedness against terrorism.
This isn’t about turning events into high-security environments.
It’s about ensuring organisations have thought about the risks and taken sensible steps to protect people.
Why Martyn’s Law Exists
The law is named in memory of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.
Its purpose is to improve consistency across the UK by ensuring venues:
- Understand potential risks
- Put proportionate measures in place
- Train staff appropriately
- Plan how to respond in an incident
The official ProtectUK platform summarises this clearly: https://www.protectuk.police.uk/martyns-law
A Shift Towards Preparedness
Most venues already manage health and safety, fire safety, and crowd management.
Martyn’s Law builds on this — introducing counter-terrorism preparedness as a formal responsibility.
According to UK Government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/martyns-law-the-sias-new-regulatory-role
The emphasis is on:
- Awareness
- Planning
- Proportionate response
- Accountability
A Tiered, Proportionate Approach
One of the most important aspects of Martyn’s Law is that it is not one-size-fits-all.
Requirements increase depending on:
- Crowd size
- Type of venue
- Level of risk
This ensures smaller venues are not burdened with unrealistic expectations, while larger sites adopt more structured approaches.
What This Means for Event Organisers
In practical terms, Martyn’s Law encourages organisers to ask:
- Do we understand our risks?
- Do we know who is on site?
- Do our teams know what to do?
- Can we demonstrate what we’ve put in place?
It’s less about systems — and more about thinking clearly and acting sensibly.
Conclusion
Martyn’s Law represents a cultural shift in how safety is approached across events and venues.
It doesn’t demand perfection.
It demands preparedness.