The Countdown is ON: Are You Ready for Martyn's Law?
On April 3, 2025, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 better known as Martyn’s Law became an official piece of legislation. It’s a game-changer for every publicly accessible premise, moving counter-terrorism preparedness from a recommendation to a legal requirement. The two-year grace period is ticking. When enforcement begins around April 2027, will your organisation be compliant, or facing a regulatory headache?
The Countdown is ON: Are You Ready for Martyn's Law?
The deadline is looming, and it’s not an option.
Your immediate action must be to understand which legal tier you fall into. This dictates the depth of your responsibility and the measures you must implement:
The 7 Critical Compliance Checks You Must Make Today
Martyn's Law is not just about installing a new CCTV camera; it’s about a cultural shift in preparedness. Use these questions to assess your genuine readiness:
Question 1: Which tier does your organisation fit into? If you don't know your maximum reasonable occupancy, you are already behind.
- Leadership & Accountability
Who is the Responsible Person (Standard Tier) or Designated Senior Individual (DSI) (Enhanced Tier) formally tasked with compliance? Has the senior leadership team been briefed on the financial and reputational risk of non-compliance?
- Emergency Response Testing
If an incident occurred today, how prepared are your staff to meet the challenges of the initial response?
- Do your staff have formal training in Evacuation, Invacuation, and Lockdown?
- Are these procedures tested regularly, and is that testing officially documented for the Regulator?
- Counter-Terrorism Training
What basic, counter-terrorism training (e.g., ACT Awareness) do all your staff receive? A trained staff member can spot hostile reconnaissance before an event even begins.
- Enhanced Tier Risk Assessment (800+ Capacity)
If you are Enhanced Tier, your comprehensive Security Plan must mitigate risks across specific headings. Do you know what the core mitigation areas are? Your plans must include Monitoring, Movement and Control, Physical Safety/Security, and Security of Information.
- Threat Communication
What specific, reliable communication methods are in place to alert staff and customers immediately in the event of a threat? Are these systems tested regularly to ensure they work under pressure?
- Physical Security Integrity
In respect of ingress/egress points and designated safe areas, are they functioning properly (locks, barriers, alarms)? Do you regularly test their effectiveness against an active threat scenario?
- Documentation & Regulatory Notification
- Have your written Public Protection Procedures been finalised and ready for the Regulator? (Standard Tier)
- Do you have a comprehensive, detailed Security Plan that effectively mitigates all identified counter-terrorism risks, and is it ready for regulatory review? (Enhanced Tier)
Don't wait for the enforcement date. The time to transition from "business as usual" to "security prepared" is NOW.
The safety of the public is no longer a matter of best practice; it is a matter of law.
Ready to start? Your first step is clear: Identify your tier, appoint your lead, and review your processes.
