Use this page to find information about the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act - also known as Martyn's Law - and your obligations towards making locations and people safer.
About the Act
The UK Government has introduced the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. This legislation requires organisations and publicly accessible locations to bring in security measures in order to reduce the risk of a terrorist attack.
The Act applies to certain activities and events with a size capacity. However, the advice and guidance can also be used by all, to protect staff and the public from any major incident, not just terrorism. Serious violence or domestic abuse are two such examples.
There will be a period of time before the legislation commences - likely to be two years - which should ensure that businesses and organisations can prepare for the duty. Links to updates will be provided on this page. Free technical guidance and operational advice on protective security can be found at the links below.
National Protective Security Authority (NPSA)
Watch a video explaining Martyn's Law from ProtectUK
The regulator for the duty will be the Security Industry Authority.
What terrorism is defined as
Terrorism is the use of violence, intimidation or cyber-attack to achieve political, religious, or ideological goals. It often targets civilians and attempts to spark fear amongst the general population.
What you need to do
According to the Act, any measures put in place should be appropriate and practicable for the individual premises or event. As a duty holder, you should take into account the nature of the premises or event, its activities, and its resources when determining what to take forward.
The procedures or measures put in place at one location may not be appropriate and reasonably practicable at another.
Check if your organisation fits into the proposed Protect Duty
The duty divides locations and venues according to their capacity: Standard tier applies to a capacity of 200 to 799 people, while Enhanced tier applies to a capacity of 800 plus people.
Locations/activities that are thought to fall within the duty include:
- shops
- food and drink establishments
- nightclubs
- social clubs
- entertainment activities
- sports grounds
- recreation and leisure activities
- educational facilities
- libraries, museums and galleries
- exhibition halls, conference centres and venues
- visitor attractions
- hotels, hostels, boarding houses and guest houses
- holiday parks
- places of worship
- healthcare establishments
- bus and train stations
- aerodromes
Tools and resources
Here you will find useful information for organisations to make their staff, locations and events safer.
The ProtectUK website provides businesses and the public with counter terrorism support and guidance to effectively protect and prepare in line with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act.
As well as providing information on the duty, the below are useful apps and tools which provide advice on major incidents.
ProtectUK has also launched ACT in a BOX - an interactive product that enables businesses to rehearse and explore their response to terrorist incidents.
Though a terrorist incident is rare, it is important to be prepared should one ever occur.
Citizen Aid is a charity that aims to help people be prepared, not scared. The free app and resources provide information on how to respond to a variety of incidents and events, including how to treat those around you.
This guidance is for security-minded communications, which are designed to disrupt hostiles and make them believe that by choosing your organisation or event as a place to attack, they would almost certainly fail.
This training informs you about:
- the Prevent duty
- the different forms of extremism and terrorism
- risks around radicalisation
- how to make a Prevent referral that is informed and made with good intention
- the various interventions and support that are available
The lockdown template is created for organisations to follow in the event of an attack. Lockdown is necessary when children and staff need to be locked within buildings for their own safety i.e. in an emergency situation such as a hostile intruder, terrorist attack or other criminal activity.
A lockdown template should pinpoint potential threats and vulnerabilities affecting the business. While lockdowns can enhance safety during a terrorist attack, it's crucial to address risks posed by the lockdown itself.
As such, adjustments must be made to minimise these risks. These assessments should clearly outline the organisational and individual duty of care towards staff and others.
View an example Lockdown template from the Department for Education.