Martyn's Law: New anti -terrorism law for venues consultation now open

Martyn’s Law will improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK by mandating, for the first time, those responsible for certain premises and events to consider the terrorist risk and how they would respond to an attack.

What you need to know about Martyn’s Law:

The Bill will require certain venues to fulfil necessary but proportionate steps according to their capacity to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack and reduce harm. The duties that premises will have will depend on the size of the venue. Premises and events with a capacity of 800 or above will be in the enhanced tier, while premises with a capacity of 100 to 799 will be in the standard tier.

In advance of the Bill’s introduction, the Government has launched a further public consultation on an updated approach to the standard tier. This will give the public, as well as our stakeholders ample opportunity to express their views and will ensure we strike the right balance between enhancing public safety and not overburdening organisations. Once the consultation process has concluded the Bill will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.

The six-week consultation was launched on 5th February and closes 11:59pm on 18 March 2024. 

Martyn's Law Q&A

Dedicated guidance and support will be provided to ensure that those in scope are provided with information to understand and meet the new legal requirements. 

Please note: It is likely that most Village Hall for example will fall within the Standard Tier capacity.

Visit the ProtectUK website to view a number of general Q&As. 

Protect UK is a Counter Terrorism Alliance providing business and the public with counter terrorism support and guidance to effectively protect and prepare. Find out more about who is behind the Alliance HERE.

More information

You can find more information on the updated approach on the UK Government website here:  https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/martyns-law-standard-tier-consultation

To submit your views

Online consultation HERE

If you need an alternative to the online consultation for accessibility reasons, please email martynslaw@homeoffice.gov.uk. and they will send you a Word version to complete.