Martyn's Law is the name everyone uses; the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is what the statute book calls it. This page walks through the Act as it is written, part by part, in plain English, so that when someone quotes a section at you, you know what it says and what it does not.
The shape of the Act
Part 1 is the substance: which premises and events are covered, the two tiers, the duties, the regulator and its powers, and penalties. Part 2 makes a small amendment to licensing law. Schedule 1 lists the uses that bring premises into scope; Schedule 2 covers the regulator's investigatory powers. It is a short Act, around forty sections, and most of what matters to a hall or a church is in the first twenty.
Part 1, in order
| Sections | What they do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Overview. |
| 2 and Schedule 1 | Define qualifying premises: a building or place used for a Schedule 1 purpose where 200 or more people may reasonably be expected at the same time. Lists the uses: shops, food and drink, nightclubs and entertainment, sports grounds, recreation, libraries and museums, halls and community centres, visitor attractions, hotels, places of worship, healthcare, education, childcare, public transport. |
| 3 | Defines qualifying events: 800 or more, entry controlled by ticket or permission. |
| 4 | Standard and enhanced duty premises: the 800 threshold, and the exceptions that keep places of worship and education in the standard tier. |
| 5 and 6 | Who the responsible person is: the person with control of the premises for the listed use, or of the event. |
| 7 to 9 | Excluded premises and events, and the power to change the lists by regulation. |
| 10 | Which tier applies when a premises is also an event venue. |
| 11 | The duty to notify the SIA, and to notify changes. |
| 12 | Standard tier: public protection procedures (evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communication), so far as reasonably practicable. |
| 13 | Enhanced tier: public protection measures (monitoring, movement of people, physical safety and security, security of information), so far as reasonably practicable. |
| 14 to 16 | Enhanced tier: the document and assessment provided to the SIA, the senior individual, and coordination where more than one person is responsible. |
| 17 to 19 | Shared premises, premises within premises, and how responsibility is divided. |
| 20 to 27 | The SIA as regulator: functions, guidance, information powers, inspections; section 27 is the statutory guidance. |
| 28 to 33 | Compliance notices, restriction notices (enhanced only), monetary penalties and the maximums, daily penalties, appeals. |
| 34 to 36 | Offences: failing to comply with a notice at enhanced tier; false or misleading information; offences by bodies corporate. |
| 37 onwards | Interpretation, regulations, extent (the whole UK), commencement. |
Section numbers are given as a guide to the structure; check the Act as enacted on legislation.gov.uk for the exact text.
What matters for a small venue
Section 2 and Schedule 1 (are you in), section 4 (which tier), sections 5 and 6 (who is responsible), section 11 (notify), section 12 (the four procedures), and sections 28 to 30 (what happens if not). Six places in the Act, and a village hall committee can read them in an evening. The standard tier guide turns them into a list.
The statutory guidance
Section 27 requires the Home Office to publish guidance, and the regulator and courts must have regard to it. It was published in April 2026 and is the document that turns "reasonably practicable" into examples for halls, churches, shops and hotels. It is what we check our guides against. It is guidance, not law: a venue that does something different for a good reason has not broken the Act, but it needs to be able to say what the reason was.
Common questions
- What is the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025?
- The law known as Martyn's Law. It places duties on those responsible for certain publicly accessible premises and events to be prepared for a terrorist attack: procedures at the standard tier (200 to 799 people) and procedures plus measures at the enhanced tier (800 or more). It received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025 and is not yet in force.
- Why is it called Martyn's Law?
- After Martyn Hett, one of the twenty-two people killed in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017. His mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for the law.
- Does it apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- Yes. The Act extends to the whole of the United Kingdom.
- Is it in force?
- No. Commencement will be by regulations, with an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent, so spring 2027 at the earliest. The Home Office published statutory guidance under section 27 in April 2026.
- Who is the regulator?
- The Security Industry Authority, given a new function under Part 1 of the Act.
Six sections, four procedures, one record.
The Venue Record works out which parts of the Act apply to your premises from a few questions, drafts the four procedures from your answers, and keeps the record the regulator would ask for: who is responsible, what is in place, who has read it, when it was reviewed.
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A plain-English summary of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and the Home Office statutory guidance, written for the people who run premises. The Act is not yet in force and regulations may change the detail. It is not legal advice. The Venue Record is independent and is not connected to, endorsed by or approved by the Home Office, the Security Industry Authority or any government body.