Comment piece frames Martyn's Law as a shared duty of care
Published
An opinion article in The Developer argues that Martyn's Law shifts responsibility for protecting the public from terrorism onto those who run and design public spaces. Here is what it means for venues as they prepare.
What happened
The Developer has published an opinion piece on Martyn's Law, the everyday name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. The article makes the case that the law reframes public safety as a duty shared by those who own, operate and design buildings and spaces where people gather. It is a comment piece rather than official guidance, but it reflects a growing conversation about how the built environment and event sector should respond.
The background
The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025 and is named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. It creates two tiers: a standard tier for premises where 200 to 799 people may reasonably be expected at once, and an enhanced tier for 800 or more. The count includes staff. The Security Industry Authority will act as regulator.
What it means for venues
The duties are not yet in force. Commencement is expected in spring 2027, and the exact date has not been confirmed. The value of pieces like this is that they encourage operators to start thinking early about how many people their site can hold and what simple, sensible steps might reduce risk. None of this is enforceable today, and nothing here is a substitute for the official guidance still to come.
What to do now
Work out which tier your venue is likely to fall into by estimating peak attendance, including staff. Keep an eye out for official guidance from the Home Office and the SIA, whose notification process is not yet live. Use the time before spring 2027 to familiarise yourself and plan calmly, rather than treating any single opinion article as the final word.
This is our plain-English summary. Read the original in full at The Developer.