Martyn's Law and the Protect Duty: what businesses are starting to read up on
Published
Trade coverage is again explaining the Protect Duty under Martyn's Law for businesses. The duties are not in force yet, but now is a sensible time to get familiar.
What happened
Professional Security Magazine has published another explainer on the Protect Duty under Martyn's Law — the everyday name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It is named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. Coverage like this is part of a steady run of articles helping businesses understand what is coming.
What it means for venues
The law sets out two tiers based on how many people may reasonably be expected at the same time, staff included. The standard tier covers premises where 200 to 799 people may be present. The enhanced tier covers 800 or more. The Security Industry Authority will be the regulator, but its notification process is not yet live and the duties are not enforceable now. Commencement is expected in spring 2027, with the exact date still to be confirmed.
What to do now
Treat this as reading and preparation time, not a scramble. Work out which tier your premises is likely to fall into by thinking honestly about your busiest expected numbers. Note who makes decisions about safety on your site. Keep an eye on official SIA updates rather than relying only on second-hand articles.
Keep it in perspective
General press explainers are useful background, but they are not the law itself or professional advice. Use them to build familiarity, and plan to check the finer detail against official guidance once the SIA publishes it ahead of commencement.
This is our plain-English summary. Read the original in full at Professional Security Magazine Online.