Report finds many staff still haven't heard of Martyn's Law

A report covered by independentschoolmanagement.co.uk highlights that many staff are still unaware of Martyn's Law — the everyday name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, but its duties are not yet in force. Awareness among people who actually run day-to-day operations appears to be patchy, and that is worth noting for any venue that expects larger groups of people.

If you run a pub, church, hall, cinema or events space, this is a useful reminder that preparation is as much about people as paperwork. Managers may know the Act is coming, but wardens, volunteers, bar staff and front-of-house teams often haven't heard of it yet. Standard tier covers premises where 200 to 799 people may reasonably be expected at the same time, and the enhanced tier applies at 800 or more — and the count includes staff.

There is no need to rush. The duties are expected to commence in spring 2027, with the exact date still to be confirmed, and the SIA notification process is not yet live. A sensible early step is simply raising awareness: mention Martyn's Law in a team meeting, make sure key people know it exists and roughly what it involves, and start thinking about who at your venue will take the lead on readiness.

This is background reading to help you prepare, not a set of rules you must follow today. Nothing about the Act is enforceable yet, and no training is required at this stage. Use the time between now and 2027 to build familiarity gradually across your team.